When radiology workflow is hampered, it can have a negative effect. From radiologists burning out to patient care standards lowering, challenges to your efficiency can impact a number of areas. Fortunately, there are established best practices to consider for radiology departments that want to improve workflow.
Upgrading Technology
Is your technology outdated? Are you still using compact discs to manage your imaging data? There are many cloud-based services that can help you liquidate your old equipment, such as imaging services that include better viewing technology.
There are also artificial intelligence technologies available that can help you with tedious but important tasks, such as scheduling. This can help take the load off of your office staff, reduce errors and can improve morale in the office and make your patients happier.
Is Downtime an Issue?
Utilizing in-house hardware that is not updated can lead to frequent downtime. This is another reason to seek out cloud-based services that will lessen the workload your IT personnel is tasked with. For example, instead of having to manually check for updates, your cloud service provider will automatically take care of it for you on their end. This can significantly reduce downtime.
Improve Your Viewing Practice
Are you tied to a viewing station? When you partner with the right vendor, you can view images on the go rather than be stuck at a proprietary viewer. Radiology workflow can also be hampered by PACS failing to communicate. Ask your vendor for vendor neutral archiving (VNA) and you’ll be able to bypass the PACS issues.
Implement Cloud PACS Solutions
Going to the cloud for radiology workflow solutions can be a game-changer for you. Seek out a vendor of PACS solutions that are based on the latest DICOM standards. This will make it easy for you to access patient exams and data at multiple locations at any time.
The best cloud PACS vendors can offer the following:
- All-inclusive hardware and software
- Document importing
- Modality worklist
- DICOM data coercion
- Browser agnostic viewer
- On-site diagnostic workstation
- Multiple FDA-approved workstations
- 3D Tomosynthesis
- Unlimited routing
What you need might differ from other radiology departments, so don’t pay for more than you’ll use. Only partner with a radiology technology vendor that can offer customized packages.
That’s what we do at OffSite Image Management – we’re committed to providing the services our clients need and at a cost they can afford. We’re an industry-leading provider of cloud-based services that help radiology workflows improve, patient satisfaction levels increase and image management to become less of a hassle. Contact us and find out more about how we can get your workflow back on track.