FEASIBLE (II): Its use in an actual PACS evaluation study.

The software package FEASIBLE is a tool for carrying out observer performance studies. The structure, background and possibilities of the program are described in paper I of this series. Observer performance studies can be used to evaluate the diagnostic quality of Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) components. This paper summarizes the general features of such an evaluation. It states the specific characteristics of a diagnostic evaluation of a prototype PACS. The examples of the use of FEASIBLE presented here originate from the study that has recently been conducted within the Dutch PACS project, a cooperation between the BAZIS project IMAGIS (IMAGe Information System), the Utrecht University Hospital and Philips Medical Systems. Furthermore, this paper demonstrates how FEASIBLE is used to carry out an observer performance study. It is shown step-by-step how experiments on the evaluation of PACS components can be executed in an easy, reliable and quick way, by means of the FEASIBLE package.