If you’re involved with medical imaging, you are probably well aware of Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM), the network protocol that has been used for years to transmit images and waveforms. What you might not have known is that the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and the American College of Radiology developed DICOM in the early 1980s to transmit CAT and MRI images. Today, the medical imaging industry is focused on the DICOM image exchange as the next big thing.
The DICOM image exchange movement is well underway with states creating image exchanges that work to improve the transmission of medical images throughout the state. They’re using the DICOM exchange of radiological data across different vendor platforms. By using vendor neutral archiving architecture, healthcare providers are able to easily exchange data, regardless of the system they’re running.
It’s this non-proprietary approach that has so many members of the healthcare community excited to jump into a DICOM image exchange. It’s all about promoting efficient patient care, which is what happens when data is treated as DICOM objects.
Vendors are coming up with ways to keep the rural providers in the loop. If you’re involved with one of the 2,000 rural critical care facilities in the U.S., you know how tight budgets can be. While larger facilities enjoy the depth of experience in their employees and a large budget for technologically advanced equipment, rural facilities have a tough time with human resources and capital to invest in new equipment.
However, with the DICOM image exchange, rural facilities are able to take advantage of advanced engineering, such as Honeycomb – a software layer that connects disparate digital silos. This doesn’t have to be out of your budget restraints as most facilities only pay for what they use, which means they aren’t plunking down big money for services they don’t require.
It’s no secret that digital imaging has grown many fold over the last several years, which has actually helped to push the need for more DICOM image exchange opportunities. The reason so many providers are bringing the exchanges into the mix is because it ensures organizations are stable in their exchange with a secure data workflow and plenty of redundancies that keep data available to you at all times.
Image exchanges are proving to be an excellent way for medical facilities to stay on the same page and working together to keep the flow of data consistent, safe and constantly improving the quality of patient care. Honeycomb’s use in this scenario is integral to the process. The providers that fail to see the communication they need to improve their patient care aren’t using Honeycomb.
OffSite Image Management, Inc., is a company that understands the needs of the rural providers. We understand where you’re falling short and we’ve got a solution to help you out. Our health image exchanges we’ve set up in Missouri, Kansas, Louisiana and Michigan have been met with rave reviews. If you want to learn more about us, check out our site and give us a call.