Like most businesses today, you likely have applications running in the cloud. But is taking your PACS to the cloud a smart decision? The results thus far show that moving to a cloud PACS-based platform can significantly shift the way you manage images.
Cost Effective
Cost can be a driving factor in new moves you make toward new technology. A cloud PACS solution is less costly, which makes it highly attractive when you have a budget to consider. The bulk of these savings are tied to the fact that when you adopt a cloud-based platform, you don’t have to invest in hardware, give up physical space in your facility or continually upgrade and maintain your software – it’s all done by the cloud-based vendor.
Image Access
Part of delivering top-notch patient care is having access to the images healthcare providers need to treat their patients. Accessing images through cloud PACS is easier, faster and more reliable than on-premise solutions that often get bogged down in proprietary roadblocks. As long as you have access to the Internet, you can use a secure URL to gain all the access you need to images of many types.
Storage Scalability
There are physical limitations to how much data can be stored in an on-premise system. For rural providers that are already crammed into tight spaces, it’s impossible to upgrade on-premise storage, which is another reason the cloud-based platforms are winning out with offsite storage options. With the right vendor, you’ll only pay for the storage you need, and then have all the access you need to more storage as your data grows.
Security Matters
Data safety is measured in a number of ways, including safety from cyber criminals and less downtime. Cloud-based vendors faced scrutiny early on about their ability to keep data safe, which prompted them to become data safety advocates constantly seeking out more secure ways to store clients’ data. Cloud PACS vendors are no different; they’ve developed robust methods for keeping all image data safe and secure and 99.9 percent free of downtime.
Maintenance
Finding qualified IT staff to manage imaging solutions is a constant struggle, especially in rural areas that lack the workforce required to maintain complex imaging systems. Thanks to cloud-based vendors, you’ll always have access to IT professionals who know what they’re doing, and you don’t have to worry about them calling in sick, taking a vacation or making novice errors. The right vendors always have the IT staff on hand that will tend to all your needs.
At OffSite Image Management, we are pioneers of the cloud-based solutions that radiologists and imaging centers count on today. Take a look at our approach to PACS and see how you can improve your workflow, save money and be more productive.
