Despite the challenges that have plagued healthcare providers during the pandemic, if a silver lining exists, it’s the fact that through the challenges, areas where improvements could be made become obvious. Medical imaging departments are among those who are making changes because of what they have learned during this time
For medical imaging departments just getting by with the technology they had, the pandemic made it clear that there was a definite lack in high-level technology. For example, once it became clear that social distancing would be a necessity, many medical imaging departments realized they didn’t have the ability to work remotely.
To be fair, technology is expensive and it evolves at an alarming clip. Keeping current is not a luxury some providers can afford. However, there are cloud-based technologies that are affordable and some are even industry-leading innovative solutions. The trick is to know which imaging solutions match your needs.
Choosing Wisely
Rather than go through an expensive trial and error process to figure out what technologies will work best for you, you have to first think about today’s needs versus tomorrow’s needs. Furthermore, you will have hardware and software that has to “play nice” with your incoming technology. Now is also the time to make workflow improvements – if you’ve identified areas where you tend to see bottlenecks, your new technology should address those slowdowns.
Maximize Uptime
Downtime has always been costly, but this is another area where the pandemic magnified the problem in many ways. Many cloud-based solutions take this into account and have built-in tools that limit how much downtime you have and allow you to maximize uptime. For example, having data backed up in the cloud should be a disaster recovery option for you. Also, having your images available via the cloud can add a layer of protection while also giving you access to them whenever and where you need them.
Cloud PACS Advantage
As you consider implementing new technology, look at solutions that are based on the latest DICOM standards. At OffSite Image Management, we offer a cloud PACS solution that is DICOM standard-friendly, which allows you to access patient exams and data at multiple locations at any time. Furthermore, we offer service packages that fit just about any size medical imaging department.
From all-in-one hybrid solutions to fully hosted PACS, customized on-site PACS or WADO-HER integration, we’ve got you covered. All hardware and software are included in our cloud PACS packages, and you also have the browser-agnostic viewer that is a huge bonus to departments that have historically struggled to easily view their images.
For more information about how we can get you up to date with the latest, industry-leading imaging solutions, contact us today.
