There are obvious signs that compact disc usage is on the decline. For example, how many computers being made today have a disc drive in them? Despite this trend, which has been in development for years, many healthcare providers are dependent on medical imaging via CD. There is definitely a better way to gain access to images.
To begin, let’s look at some of the most common issues plaguing CD use for medical imaging:
- Disc-burning technology is expensive and takes up a lot of space
- Discs aren’t always burned correctly
- Discs are easily damaged
- Discs are easily lost
- The physical transfer of the disc takes precious time
- End users must have drives to read the discs
- When discs are damaged, burned incorrectly or lost, redundant exams are the result
If you’ve relied on CDs for years, you’ve probably got a list of your own going. But what are the alternatives? We can surmise, given the compliance regulations, that using an email server to transfer files is not an option. Besides, some of the images today are gigabytes-large and email is often held to 24 megabytes of content. What about cloud-based radiology services that include secure URLs to gain safe access to images?
The Cloud-Computing Concept
Almost everyone is dependent on the cloud in one form or another. Many cloud consumers aren’t even aware they’re using it. Healthcare practitioners are always looking for ways to improve patient care and lower costs, and cloud-computing is a natural choice to achieve both goals.
Bypassing the disc-burning process is entirely possible through the right vendor. Rather than dedicate time and space to this old and cumbersome technology, cloud-based vendors offer zero-footprint diagnostic cloud viewers that are interoperable with any HTML5-compliant web browser. For example, all you need is Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari or other qualified browser to view images. Mobile viewing is also a possibility, which means imaging specialists and physicians can view exams on the go.
The OffSite Advantage
At OffSite Image Management, we offer CloudPacs, which is the same PACS system we use in our EnterprisePacs solution. The only exception is that the PACS server is hosted in our commercial datacenter. We take care of administrative support, managing and overseeing the PACS and all peripherals involved. We also take care of the updates and upgrades. Our clients get full support and can dedicate their on-site IT professionals to handle important tasks on their end.
Our goal is to take the pain points out of medical imaging, and many of our clients can attest to that. Contact us and let’s discuss our methods and how they will give you the boost you’ve been looking for and the escape you’ve always wanted from CD-burning technology.