The transformation involved in medical imaging technology has been interesting, to say the least, over the last several decades. While some medical professionals are still using the archaic film method for storing, sharing and analyzing medical imaging, most healthcare professionals have progressed to burning CDs to store and share their medical images. However, a growing number are going to the cloud with their medical images, for archiving and for sharing.
When the CD burning technology was first introduced it was hailed as a time
saver and a space saver because of the number of images that could be placed on a CD and archived in a much smaller area than film. Unfortunately, the equipment was and is expensive to purchase, can create some issues when many techs need to burn CDs at the same time and causes some problems when the CDs don’t burn correctly. Another issue that comes up with traditional CDs is that they get lost quite easily, which is a hassle for the patient but also a compliance issue if the CD is lost by someone working with the hospital.
OffSite Image Management, Inc., has developed a solution to the CD problem with a product called Virtual CD. Through a software platform called honeycomb Lite®, OffSite delivers the next generation of image sharing for radiology. Virtual CD is a very advanced cloud image-sharing platform that can replace your burdensome CD burning technology. Let’s take a look at what Virtual CD can do for you.
1. Cost Savings
How much are you spending on your current CD burning technology – the CDs, the space to store it in, the maintenance on the equipment? These proprietary units don’t have to be a burden to your budget any longer. When you get Virtual CD on your side, all your information is stores, securely, in a Level IV datacenter.
2. No More Lost Data
When you hand off a CD to a medical specialist, nurse or doctor, you’re trusting that they’ll not drop the CD or lose it in the daily shuffle. That’s a lot of trust to put on numerous people throughout the day, especially considering the high fines that you’ll incur should that data get into the wrong hands. With Virtual CD, you’re only sharing an encrypted, password protected URL that can’t fall out of someone’s pocket or briefcase.
3. Faster Delivery of Care
The biggest goal for any healthcare institution is to provide the best quality care to patients as you possibly can. When you are armed with Virtual CD you’ve got speed on your side. Once the image is uploaded to the cloud, it’s available to whoever needs to see it from wherever they happen to be. If the doctor wants to review images while commuting, they can pull out their smartphone and access the information. Rather than having to be in the proximity of a computer with a CD drive, all they need is a mobile device to study the images. It’s that easy.
If you’re still fumbling with CDs and your bulky burner, call OffSite today and find out how affordable our technology is and how it will benefit your institution.