Radiology plays a large role in patient care, and radiologists are continually seeking ways to improve the patient experience. It’s not unusual for radiology departments to reach out to patients to gauge their experience and look for areas that need to be revamped. Whether it’s better communication or newer technology, keeping an eye on performance is a good way to stay ahead.
While it can be intimidating to have patients rate your level of care, there are many positive takeaways to receiving criticism. For example, you might think your waiting area looks perfectly fine, but because of your patient surveys, you find out it’s actually outdated and needs a remodel. Or you discover your patients would prefer faster access to their medical images and other data, which prompts you to look into better technology, such as cloud-based services that can improve your offerings.
Evolving Patient Needs
Patients today are more interested than ever in taking charge of their health. Most doctors offer patient portals where all the necessary information is available to patients, including doctors’ notes, image studies and other data. They’re also working with multiple specialists, which means radiology has to step up and make sure all parties involved have access to the images and data they need. The problem is that proprietary viewers and other hardware and software used by radiologists and other departments in a healthcare facility can serve as a roadblock to viewing images.
Vendor Neutral Improvements
One way around the viewing challenge many healthcare professionals experience is adopting vendor neutral archiving (VNA) solutions. VNA steps up where PACS often fail. For example, if the PACS your department uses is different from the one down the hall in cardiology, there can be difficulties in the two communicating between each other due to proprietary roadblocks. VNA is a medical imaging technology that uses a standard format and a standard interface, which means it can be accessed through vendor-neutral means.
By utilizing VNA, healthcare providers not only ease workflow issues, but they also improve their level of patient care. Instead of going through multiple steps in order to view an image, working with the right VNA provider could involve gaining access to technology that allows for remote access to images.
At OffSite Image Management, we’re committed to assisting radiologists in improving the viewing experience, which can improve patient care and satisfaction. Whether it’s teleradiology solutions or cloud PACS, mammography technology or a high-functioning image exchange, we can meet your unique needs. Contact us and let’s work toward improving your patient experience.
