VNA to the Rescue – Via Cloud Solutions
Is radiology too image-centric and not enough patient-centric? Can one exist without the other? These are questions
diagnostic imaging specialists and IT personnel are asking themselves today as they consider improvements in medical imaging. Also finding a place in the conversation is vendor neutral archiving (VNA) technology.
In some ways, addressing the issues in radiology solutions today can find equal ground with a word many businesses use in discussing their performance – “value.” It might be new to radiologists who have had the same role in the healthcare setting for decades. However, as the landscape changes in the healthcare industry, so too should the view of value in the medical community.
Radiologists are often under a heavy load of medical studies they have to get through to find themselves back at zero. Unfortunately, when using proprietary workstations, they are limited in how they access various files. This occurs when silos exist: silos that happen with PACS and RIS. VNA is helping to redefine what a silo is today by opening doors that were previously locked tight by proprietary technology.
It’s no small secret that radiology is an area that is data-rich to the extreme, and it’s only getting heavier as diagnostic imaging files get bigger and bigger. Managing the flow is something providers are beginning or have been struggling with, especially if they’re relying on CD burning technology as their archiving and sharing method. To make matters even more confusing, there is no shortage of healthcare reform issues affecting radiology that have to be attended to today.
The goal of most radiologists is to be as patient-centric as possible, but also to ensure that they are getting the best images they can. Fortunately, VNA technology is allowing for both to occur at the same time.
Part of the VNA discussion today revolves around what is “true” VNA. Here is a short list of what should define true VNA technology:
- Supports DICOM and non-DICOM content
- Aggregates query results from many disparate PACS
- Supports API-level integration
- Supports on-premise, hybrid and cloud storage architecture
- It’s hardware independent
- It’s browser agnostic
- RIS updates spread automatically
There doesn’t need to be any confusion when it comes to adopting true VNA technology. The vendor should be open about the difference between their solution and others out there that claim to be VNA. Have your list of requirements ready as you go shopping, and make sure they meet everything on your list. Choose a vendor that will walk you through the implementation process and be available after implementation to help iron out the wrinkles.
OffSite Image Management, Inc., is a company that pioneered the use of VNA for medical imaging. Our solutions involve cloud-based services that side step the issues providers face due to proprietary technology that has been a roadblock for too long. Contact us today and we’ll discuss how we can save you money and improve your services at the same time.