If you're an imaging informatics professional The Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) has a textbook for you. Practical Imaging Informatics: Foundations and Applications for PACS Professional will be available later this summer, but it can be pre-ordered now by going to www.siimweb.org/pii.

Authored by leading informaticians from SIIM, the textbook contains all you'd ever want to know for IIPs preparing for the CIIP and is an excellent reference for professional practices. The publication is designed for ease of use, with bright, color-coded boxes, which contain key information and highlighted phrases of interest. Readers can easily skip to the chapter they're interested in, finding the information they need immediately. As well as a study guide, this book is for everyday use and that's what makes it truly "Practical."

Designed and written for PACS administrators, physicians, and IT managers, the authors believe other IIPs will also find this textbook to be a useful source of practical information. Several chapters are written on basic science, but large portions of the book are devoted to everyday issues encountered when keeping a PACS running smoothly and efficiently. Also included are many chapters on long-term planning and administrative issues.