Seeking out a more efficient way to manage workflow, radiology departments are increasingly aiming for an enterprise-wide solution. But it’s not just the radiologists themselves that want these improvements – there are also healthcare IT teams and physicians, as well as regional imaging centers, that have a stake in the process. The enterprise-wide system is vastly improved by adding VNA (vendor neutral archiving) to the mix.
If the goal is to reach the status of “universally connected,” VNA-based solutions can help create a path to that connectedness. The journey for many providers begins with choosing a routing and communication solution, followed by researching protocol support and working with DICOM and HL7 adapters. Finally, a true VNA solution can be plugged into the equation for optimal connectivity.
Benefits of VNA Deployment
One of the biggest attractions to VNA is the money it can save in regard to storage carrying costs. But it’s not all about cost – there is also quality of care that is inherent through VNA – the vastly improved communication and routing capabilities of data, including images, reduces the time technologists, radiologists and doctors are spending on non-diagnostic tasks.
An immediate positive result of deploying VNA is found in improved diagnostic efficiency. Plus, when adopting VNA, you’re addressing stage 2 of Meaningful Use standards, which is mainly about enabling quick access to patient records for improved care.
Partnering With a Trusted Vendor
Not all VNA vendors are created equal. If you can’t share your images with other departments, you don’t have the right vendor. If you can’t migrate your studies to another facility, you don’t have the right vendor. You shouldn’t have to pay for your vendor to migrate data because the DICOM data is proprietary. You can bypass these problems by ensuring that your vendor offers true VNA technology, which includes the following:
- Ability to store the complete suite of DICOM SOP classes
- Vendor handles all ADT updates
- Vendor supports inclusive DICOM query/retrieve specification
- All objects are stored in a non-proprietary format
Furthermore, your vendor should offer you disaster recovery solutions so your data will survive any disaster scenario, whether it’s an act of God, user error or cyber criminal activity.
The best VNA vendors will use redundant datacenters and compressed encryption for safety. Recovery point object and recovery time object should be kept to a minimum so you can rest assured that your continuity is not at risk.
At OffSite Image Management, our VNA services are a perfect match for facilities that require top-notch solutions that won’t break the budget. In fact, our services are often a route to saving money rather than investing considerable sums. Furthermore, our staff can take the burden off of your IT department, as we handle all updates and maintenance – offering a zero-administration solution. Contact us and let’s talk about how you’re going to improve nearly every aspect of your daily operations.