To say that technology in the healthcare industry changes at a quick pace would be an understatement. And while these improvements can improve patient care, some areas can be a challenge, particularly in radiology.
A qualitative study on the subject of how radiology professionals perceive technology in healthcare is revealing. The study aimed to seek out the opinions and experiences of radiology experts regarding the technology they use and the role technology takes in directing the future of their practice. What they found from responses of 52 subjects is that technology is indispensable, but that it needs to be as patient-friendly as it is effective, because “patients should always be the highest priority.”
On the downside, some radiology professionals said they sometimes feel helpless when using technology and unexpected errors occur. In the days before more advanced technology became available, they could work around various issues, but that is no longer the case.
Stress-Related Issues
Using the right technology can lead to improved workflows. When the workflow is smooth, caseloads can be processed with ease. When the opposite occurs, stress can play a big part in radiology burnout. One thing the study points out is that when radiologists engage in highly technology-driven solutions, they can be hit with “constant confrontation with technology.”
Take, for instance, the ability to view images. This can be frustrating when a healthcare professional in one department needs to view images from a different department. It is often the case that proprietary viewers act as significant roadblocks. Rather than flounder with time-consuming workarounds, getting connected with a cloud PACS solution with vendor neutral archiving capabilities can knock down the roadblocks to viewing images from anywhere, whenever you want.
Cloud-Based Services
The study also points out that there are times when challenges faced are related to the unavailability of technology. In rural areas, critical access hospitals face this problem quite often. This is sometimes due to budget constraints that keep them from updating technology needed to give better care and also can be attributed sometimes to not enough qualified individuals to manage the high-tech equipment if they do have it.
Adopting solutions from a third-party cloud-based provider can make a significant impact in relieving the technology issue. At OffSite Image Management, we offer many cloud-based services that can ease the burden technology can put on radiology professionals, but it can also put easy-to-use technology in the hands of underserved providers.
Learn more about how we can ease your workflow and the burden associated with navigating high-functioning technology by contacting us today.
