Cloud PACS Get Your Images Off the Island
For too many years the image management system used by healthcare providers has functioned like an island. PACS living on this island had no way off of it. Furthermore, nothing from other islands could reach the island. Cloud PACS is helping to build bridges between islands.
As vendors engineered new PACS, they were certainly more efficient, but they weren’t able to multi-task. For example, a patient’s cardiology images weren’t viewable on a system built for reading mammogram exams. This presents challenges for healthcare providers who spent inordinate amounts of time organizing patient images, which is costly in terms of time and money.
Rather than making investments on PACS hardware that won’t even do what providers are trying to achieve, they’re finding the flexibility and communication leverage they’ve been looking for with cloud PACS. The advantage to the cloud is that it makes images accessible from anywhere and on any number of devices, including mobile devices.
Connectivity is no longer an issue when cloud-based technology is used. There were some initial concerns regarding security and the cloud, but the best vendors uphold security measures that ensure their clients are safe and sound in the cloud. In fact, a representative from IDC Health Insights said that the consensus now is that the cloud can be more secure than on-premise solutions. Furthermore, cloud PACS vendors are able to offer top-notch security practices without producing network complexities that would otherwise slow down the workflow.
When hospitals use on-site servers to store their images, they have to maintain those servers and add more hardware as space becomes an issue. But with a cloud-based image management partnership, the servers are offsite, which means there is no maintenance, no upgrades to oversee and no downtime due to server crashes. Cloud PACS are managed by the image management provider.
Cloud PACS aren’t without their challenges. It takes careful planning to implement a cloud PACS, and a strong understanding of what is being offered by cloud providers. Some will have all-or-nothing storage plans, while others will allow for small incremental upgrades to the storage plan as needed.
When you connect to cloud PACS, you have the opportunity to save money and improve outcomes. The money is saved because you never have to hassle with expensive hardware and software, and you don’t have to pay for IT staff to manage the system. You improve outcomes because the vendor neutral archiving technology used by the best vendors allows for instant access to images, which leads to better patient outcomes and worker satisfaction.
At OffSite Image Management, Inc., we offer the flexibility that healthcare providers have been looking for. Our image management solutions are so comprehensive that we’ve taken to calling our service a 360-degree solution for all of your image management needs. Free yourself from the shackles that have burdened you for so long, and join us in the cloud.