Disparate Data, Outdated PACS: Enter Cloud-Based Solutions for Every Critical Access Hospital.

PACS Solutions are Gaining Advantages in the Cloud

Today healthcare IT professionals are replacing disc-burning technology with cloud-based methods of archiving and accessing medical images in large numbers, and for good reason. Relying on archaic PACS and antiquated image backup technology is a sure way to suffer the consequences of a business continuity problem. The cloud, increasingly, is where it’s at for healthcare providers.

Some institutions are saving thousands of dollars by switching to the cloud. But money savings are only one part of the advantages found by moving to the cloud. Among the others are better access to images, better disaster recovery methods and more comprehensive business continuity processes.

Another aspect of the cloud-based model to consider is that all the software and hardware required to manage medical images are offsite, which means there is no upkeep, maintenance or updates to hassle with. This is particularly refreshing if you are a rural provider that struggles with staffing – you simply don’t have the personnel in your area to maintain complex PACS and other computing systems that your providers rely on to provide proper patient care.

A recent HIMSS report found that nearly 60 percent of IT professionals either plan to use cloud-based services, or are currently using them. The number of providers who are going to the cloud in such a short time is astounding, according to the report – around 22 percent were using back-office cloud applications in 2014, but that number jumped to 47 percent in 2016.

Smaller organizations are seeking out third parties to manage their cloud-based services. Again, this is a decision made after analyzing the cost and the available staff. The best cloud-based vendors are providing a flexible storage plan that can be adjusted as needed, which is a welcome model because a one-size-fits-all model is cost prohibitive if you are a small provider with a limited budget.

Cloud-based image management services utilize data centers located in a different geographic region from the client. For instance, a hospital on the Florida coast that gets hit by a hurricane will still be able to access their images because the data center storing them is far from the hurricane. Should a tornado tear through a hospital in the Midwest, the data will be available because it could be stored at a data center in the east or in the Rocky Mountains, or both. Many of the best vendors are using multiple data centers in geographically disparate locations for disaster recovery assurances.

At OffSite Image Management, Inc., we’re providing our clients with services that guarantee a 99.9 percent uptime. We utilize Level IV data centers that provide the ultimate in security, which is why we’re able to keep your data available to you 24/7/365. Furthermore, we cater to rural providers with limited budgets. But, just because you can save up to 60 percent of what you’re currently spending doesn’t mean you get bargain services. Our solutions are industry leading. Call us today and find out how we can improve your data image management.