Gaining the Advantage by Deconstructing PACS
Healthcare providers increasingly have more options when it comes to choosing technology
associated with managing medical images. Research comes before a decision is made on which direction to go, which means anyone who is researching PACS has come upon the discussion of deconstructing PACS, adopting standards like Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise, and there is also a lot of talk about interoperability. But, what does it really mean to deconstruct PACS?
When healthcare professionals working with medical images talk about deconstructing PACS, they’re talking about core elements of PACS are component-based solutions. These solutions are integrated together with a standards-based approach. The goal in deconstructing PACS is to come to a state-of-the-art solution that provides better image management than what traditional PACS can provide. For those that accomplish this task, they find that they have more control over their image informatics assets.
The deconstruction discussion really ramped up once modality innovations, such as mega-multi-slice CT, PET/CT, and digital mammography took hold. These modalities required PACS vendors to roll out improvements to help reduce the amount of time necessary to display images. The digital breast tomosynthesis has become the largest modality, offering images that go up to six gigabytes in size. This not only challenges traditional viewers, it also poses a problem for hospitals’ storing capabilities.
Deconstructing PACS isn’t something that many vendors have actually participated in. While none of the major players have gotten into deconstructing PACS, they will have a connection to other third party software or solution when absolutely necessary. However, there are smaller players in the market that have come up with insightful, inventive solutions based around the deconstruction method, and the solutions have led to better patient outcomes as well as cost savings for the hospitals that are connected with the solutions.
Going with a cloud-based solution for image management is increasingly a popular choice, especially for smaller hospitals that frequently struggle with finding the technology they need at a price they can afford. The best cloud-based image management vendors are offering industry-leading technology at a cost that is reasonable. Furthermore, because the solution lives in the cloud and all image data is stored there, there is no maintenance for on-site IT staff to perform.
Another benefit of taking the deconstructed route with a cloud-based vendor is that you don’t have to be concerned about filling up on-site servers with data. All images are stored in the cloud and are easy to access and share. It’s something that is increasingly an issue as patients today seek out care from multiple physicians at different hospitals, necessitating the ability to share images without regard to proprietary issues.
OffSite Image Management, Inc. has developed a deconstructed PACS solution that lives in the cloud. We guarantee savings and we hand over total control of your images to you instead of holding them hostage. Ours is a 360-degree solution that will fit the smallest of budgets. Contact us today and let’s get you started.