It’s crucial that healthcare providers, especially those in rural areas, solve patient data problems. However, there is a lot going against them. Patients are going to bigger hospitals, staff are leaving for more populated areas and the Meaningful Use standards are causing a loss of reimbursements. One way around the problem with patient data is to adopt new PACS and virtual CD technology that provides more efficient access to patient data.Image Management 1

Many rural providers are actually pushing their PACS beyond what it was built to do. Instead of pushing an antiquated PACS system to manage more than its capacity to manage, moving toward more vendor-neutral archiving systems that play nice with other institutions is a better option.

The truth is, too many rural hospitals are in desperate need of a newer, improved PACS system. They need to step away from the problems their current PACS systems are causing, especially where accessibility is concerned. The newest health image exchange technology is allowing patients more mobility in their healthcare.

The best health image exchange processes involve storing patient data and transferring it with DICOM, which allows all data formats to be recognized. When the digital platform puts up roadblocks, DICOM can be used to tear them down. One of the biggest benefits of jumping from an antiquated PACS system to one that is more stable is the automated features that don’t push the system to its limits.

Some PACS vendors are trying to sell solutions that are expensive yet don’t offer the kind of mobility patients want and doctors need. Plus, they have no upgrade perks or support packages, which means the IT staff is left to their own devices when it comes to maintenance and troubleshooting.

Hospitals in the rural areas not only don’t have the resources to purchase such equipment, they also don’t have the population base that can support maintaining such a system. Many of the people who have the knowledge it takes to manage a massive PACS system can only be found in city centers or large suburban areas where hospital groups with a mass of resources abound.

Cloud-based solutions are available for these rural areas, but some come with an upfront cost that is prohibitive. What rural hospitals need is a cost-effective solution that allows them to share their information with hospitals across the county and state lines. A non-subscription based solution works best for these critical care hospitals and clinics in our rural areas.

Fortunately, OffSite Image Management, Inc., has its eye on the rural communities and the hospitals that serve them. OffSite’s solutions involve all the perks mentioned above and none of the negative, costly side effects of PACS systems. To learn more about the best health image exchange how OffSite can solve your patient data and image sharing issues, contact us today.