How Cloud PACS is Changing the Landscape
The field of medical imaging is always evolving, and more and more providers are looking to cloud PACS to keep up with innovations being brought on by the medical imaging industry.
Between three and five percent of the population can’t complete an MRI exam due to anxiety. Whether it’s claustrophobia or the loud noises coming from the MRI machine, patients sometimes get too anxious and can’t continue. Companies like Phillips and Toshiba are working to offer products that have reduced noise. But once those exams are completed, providers need an equally innovative way to archive and share those images, which is where cloud PACS come into play.
Radiology IT must change with the innovations and improvements being made in the healthcare industry. Optimizing imaging workflows and improving on clinical effectiveness falls directly in line with radiology IT goals today, and cloud PACS are stepping up to provide these improvements and efficiencies.
Vendor neutral archiving solutions are being embraced industry wide, including companies focused on enterprise and diagnostic imaging suites like Conserus, which was launched last year at HIMSS. Other companies are also introducing VNA solutions to help optimize imaging workflows that help hospitals accelerate change management and offer value-driven based organizations the tools they need to succeed.
The cloud and cloud PACS have been a popular topic lately, including at RSNA when big companies like GE introduced their cloud-friendly and cloud-based solutions. Many of these solutions are being developed to address the unique requirements of the healthcare industry, including the growing rates at which data is piling up, complex 3D imaging data, security, and HIPAA-compliancy issues. New partnerships are taking place as companies like Viztek and Konica merge to expand solutions, including those that are cloud-based.
Why the cloud? It was a rocky start when the cloud was first introduced as a possibility to healthcare organizations, but providers are flocking to the cloud for a variety of reasons, including improved efficiency and lower cost. One of the advantages of going with a cloud vendor for image management is that there is little to no effort required from the provider’s radiology IT department. The vendor handles everything, including software upgrades. Furthermore, with all images being stored offsite, there is no worry about business continuity or server management that has to take place.
With a cloud PACS, providers are finally able to archive and share images without running into the roadblocks common with proprietary solutions. And because cloud-based solutions give providers control over their data, there is no need to pay the vendor to manage every byte of data.
While some of the biggest names in technology are just announcing their cloud-based image management solutions, OffSite Image Management, Inc. has led the industry in offsite solutions that use the SaaS method to deliver spectacular results. We have established ourselves as a cloud-based leader of image management solutions and currently assist clients in not only saving up to 60 percent on their imaging needs, but we’re also helping them improve patient satisfaction and patient care.