Administrators of picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) work in the field of medical imaging. A PACS administrator’s responsibilities vary greatly depending on the size, scope, and budget of the medical facility. The majority of the time, the job entails maintaining, managing, and troubleshooting a PACS system. The storage of all digital images received is also managed and implemented a PACS administrator.
PACS administrators used to be primarily technical support personnel who spent the majority of their time troubleshooting system problems. The profession has evolved over time, and many PACS administrators are now expected to strategize and plan in addition to providing technical assistance. As a medical facility’s needs and resources change, most positions in the field change dramatically.
Many PACS administrators have begun to devote more time to related needs such as end-user training as medical imaging systems become more complex. They might also help design programs to improve the system’s design and administration in the interest of making new systems more accessible for staff members. A PACS administrator can act as a focal point for a medical facility’s ongoing development and improvement of a system. In some cases, the PACS administrator spends so much time on development and design that the system’s daily maintenance is handled a PACS coordinator.
A PACS administrator can also oversee all system updates. This frequently entails managing vendor relationships related to technology expansion and maintenance. In smaller facilities, a vendor may offer a contract PACS administrator for a limited time to help with the implementation of a new PACS system and training the staff on how to use it. After the system has been installed and all staff members have been trained, a facility staff member will frequently take over PACS administration duties from the contractor.
Because the requirements for PACS administrator positions vary widely, most medical facilities have difficulty finding a technician who is perfectly suited to their needs. The profession necessitates a thorough understanding of radiology as well as strong IT skills, but the proportion of each is different depending on the facility. Some facilities have solved this problem assigning PACS administration to two professionals with complementary skills. There is usually a lead PACS administrator and a backup who can take over if the lead is unavailable.