How to Make Your PACS Work for You
If you’ve kept up with the evolution of PACS, you know its limitations and its strengths. You’ve
watched as PACS have bridged radiology to other departments and see how radiologists are discovering how it functions as a leading-edge imaging solution. However, not all PACS are able to pull this off; in many cases, connecting to a cloud-based solution is the best option.
What we know now is that PACS can have a positive influence on patient care. In fact, the Journal of Infection and Public Health found in its study that most physicians attest to PACS’s ability to help them provide excellent patient care. For example, they say the right solutions can shorten a patient’s stay in the hospital.
One area that can be a challenge for providers is in that traditional PACS will communicate with other systems with no context awareness. This means that there is a chance that patient context information to radiologists, some of which might be critical, can be missed.
However, an enterprise imaging system will optimize information in the EMR to provide information that is contextually relevant, which means the radiologists can remain in their reading environment and not have to seek out some kind of proprietary viewer.
Today, patients seek out treatment from more than just one doctor. Advancements in imaging solutions have given many more ways to assess what’s ailing them, which means there is more need to communicate between systems. Also, with rural providers ordering imaging tests, there needs to be a better way to connect with other providers, and PACS connected to the cloud can facilitate this level of communication.
There is a definite push to have enterprise imaging systems that can collaborate between disparate facilities. With a better way to communicate, collaboration becomes more accessible. However, enterprise imaging is also in need of better workflow and accountability, especially when it comes to medical imaging.
At OffSite Image Management, Inc., we’ve established a cloud-based solution for PACS that includes a teleradiology component. For too many years, providers have sent out their medical images with no way of knowing when it was going to come back or at what stage it was in the process. Furthermore, if they needed to upgrade the priority of an exam, there was no way to do it.
At OffSite, our 360-degree solutions provide something for everyone, especially where workflow and accountability go. Also, our solutions, which include true VNA archiving, ensure that our clients will always have access to their data. Contact us today and find out how we can improve your image management while lowering your costs.