Hospital Data Solutions That Exceed Expectations are in the Cloud
The rise of healthcare costs have been noted for decades. The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that from 1980 through 2008, the average annual increase in healthcare costs averaged nine percent. With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the number dropped to below six percent, but costs are still rising. Will managing hospital data prove to lead to more rises in healthcare for providers or is there a way to lower costs?
What many Americans are taking note of is that while they are paying around $9,225 per person in healthcare costs each year, citizens in other countries are getting the same care at up to half that cost. For instance, German citizens pay around $4,884 a year and Swiss citizens around $6,080. What has been targeted as a possible inefficiency in America is the non-integrated healthcare systems that providers have been using for many years.
Could a shift in interoperability be the answer to the problem? The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT says it could be, and at the tune of $30 billion a year, which is the estimate of what’s being wasted on a yearly basis.
Vendors are coming up with better ways of managing hospital data, including HL7, and especially, medical imaging. The amount of data being generated through medical imaging grows by leaps and bounds every year, and many providers are attached to non-flexible solutions that have them paying for “perks” that they don’t require. For instance, providers know their server requirements for space related to medical imaging is growing, but instead of paying for what they need now, they’re paying for what they need in the future.
A better solution is available from vendors who are giving providers the space they need now with flexibility for needs in the future. Furthermore, the best vendors are allowing better access to imaging and other forms of data through vendor neutral archiving architecture.
The lack of interoperability is being addressed through health image exchanges that offer a central point of contact for healthcare professionals to store and access images, regardless of what type of viewer they use. It’s this type of solution that is helping providers gain access to cost-saving solutions that don’t skimp on functionality. In fact, the best vendors are helping providers achieve better patient outcomes through better business continuity and access to images.
OffSite Image Management, Inc., is a company that caters to the hospital data needs of clients now and in their future with 360-degree diagnostic image solutions. Our clients never pay for more than they need, and it’s that flexibility that earns respect and business from a wide range of healthcare providers. Contact us today for information about disaster recovery and business continuity, our health image exchange, PACS solutions, Virtual CD cloud management, and many other solutions that keep our clients coming back again and again.