Radiology Data Mining Applications using Imaging Informatics

The radiology department is a unique department within the healthcare enterprise. It has its roots within technology and is a naturally information-rich area within which data can be mined, analyzed and used to improve departmental operations. The recent migration of many healthcare enterprises to PACS (picture archiving and communication systems) helps to facilitate this trend. This chapter will provide an overview of the various technologies in the radiology department that allow for data-mining. Case-examples utilizing these technologies are then discussed in detail.