Vendor neutral archiving (VNA) is no longer a newcomer on the image management radar. What was once considered an outlier with potential has now become a solid solution for better access to radiology imaging.
The emergence of VNA is partially precipitated by an influx in the volume of images healthcare providers are dealing with on a daily basis. This includes DICOM and non-DICOM formats, and it also includes image file sizes that have become exponentially larger (consider the size of a 3-D image). Add to that there are storage silos strewn about and you can see how establishing a better management plan is critical to any provider.
Serving the Critical Care Facilities
For the rural provider, any new technology or trend in imaging can pose a significant challenge. As is often the case, critical care facilities must rely on outside sources rather than on-site storage capabilities. This is a necessity due to budgetary limitations, but it’s also a disaster recovery and business continuity precaution. The consequence of this is that data migration can present unexpected issues if VNA isn’t part of the solution.
For example, some hospitals and/or departments have already gone through multiple iterations of PACS (picture archive and communication system) for their radiology needs. This probably required migrating the same data, so this is another reason why adopting VNA makes sense.
When you migrate data to a VNA, you get a single access point regardless of the PACS you’re using. Fortunately, there are no longer DICOM limitations in regard to file type. This gives unfettered access to all who need to see an image.
Choosing the Right Vendor
If you’re currently in the market for an upgrade to a VNA solution, you’ve likely come across a few variations, some offering more than others.
A few things to look for when you’re evaluating VNA solutions:
- Complete DICOM
It must have the ability to store the complete suite of DICO SOP classes - Updates
Your VNA solution must handle ADT updates to the image files stored in the archive - Query and Retrieve
Inclusive DICOM query/retrieve specification must be supported - Non-Proprietary Needs
You must be able to store all objects in a non-proprietary format so all viewers will accept the file
Furthermore, your VNA provider must be able to offer disaster recovery solutions so you can rest assured that you always have access to your images.
At OffSite Image Management, we are among the first to develop true VNA technology. We have redundant data centers that mirror archive storage environments so your data is always available to you.
For more information about how we approach the needs of our clients, contact us and let’s talk about how we can customize a solution for you.