Vendor neutral archiving (VNA) is an integral asset for managing medical imaging. Hospitals have access to the most amazing image generating technology ever made, but the value is lessened if the people who need to see the images have a difficult time accessing them. That’s what VNA is positioned to do – make workflow a breeze and assist in providing the best possible patient care.
The Traditional Route
PACS today are often asked to do more than they possibly can. While these are also integral pieces of the puzzle in any healthcare management system, there are proprietary roadblocks that too often slow down workflow. For example, images residing on a PACS in one department aren’t always easy to access in a disparate department. So, if someone in the emergency room needs access to images on the cardiology department’s PACS, there is not an easy way to access them, unless you have VNA.
The truth is, unstructured data is snowballing, accumulating at rapid rates, which means better solutions need to be established to handle the flow. This only adds to the complexity of the situation as clinicians demand real-time access to images. VNAs help get around the traditional restrictions that PACS impose.
Decoupling PACS
If integrating stored images and the act of viewing them has been your goal, VNA will be the resource that helps you get there. VNAs essentially decouple PACS at the archival layer. The brains behind VNA are application engines that receive, integrate and transmit all the imaging information in a DICOM format. This is how they are able to offer viewers one viewing experience, even if they’re not connected to PACS within their own department.
Choosing the Right VNA Vendor
When VNA first started making waves, vendors clamoring to develop their own version would sometimes take shortcuts, which prompted a new term: True VNA. Don’t buy into something that’s not going to give you everything you were expecting when adopting VNA. To ensure you’re getting true VNA, your vendor should offer the following:
- Context management
- ADT updates to image files stored in the archive
- Objects stored in a non-proprietary format
- The ability to store a suite of DICOM SOP classes
- Inclusive support of DICOM query/retrieve specification of all information levels
- Viewing on any device that can connect to the internet
At OffSite Image Management, we’re committed to bringing the best imaging solutions to healthcare providers of all sizes, including rural hospitals and clinics, imaging centers, critical access hospitals and even larger groups. We have established top-notch VNA services to go along with our many other imaging services, including cloud PACS, mammography technology and teleradiology services.
Contact us and let’s discuss how our VNA technology will improve your workflow and help you establish more consistent patient care.