A pilot program designed to beam diagnostic imaging results direct to doctors and patients has been launched by the Bermuda Hospitals Board.

Renée Butterfield, the manager of diagnostic imaging at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, said the scheme was “all about ease of access”.

She explained the Picture Archiving Communication System would mean an end to the use of fax machines or CDs to send doctors CT scans, X-rays and mammography results.

The scheme also means patients could get unprecedented access to their scans. The electronic scheme was adopted a year ago and is now accessible throughout King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Pacs has been popular with orthopaedic doctors and some physicians, but Ms Butterfield said the hospital wanted to see more private practices take it up.

Ms Butterfield added: “The beautiful thing about it is you not only have access to the image, you can also access the report. We also have a strong support team accessible 24 hours a day.”

Two portals are being piloted at KEMH — one for physicians, and another for patients. Ms Butterfield said: “We’ve put together a list of physicians who will test it.”

Tracy Sampson, a senior X-ray technician, said the hospital was testing the system on “various physicians that request it” and hoped to recruit more. She added: “All they have to do is communicate with us and provide feedback.”

The patient access portal is expected to go live early next year. Ms Butterfield added that the turnaround time for reports had been cut. She said: “Nothing is perfect, but we’re on our way.”

November 8 marked the International Day of Radiology and Bermuda’s imaging services staff used the week to highlight their work.