It’s a crucial time for speed and accuracy in medical imaging, which is why your PACS solution has to be up for the challenges coming its way. It’s often said that older PACS are often “asked” to do more than they can possibly deliver, but even some technologies that have not yet been deemed “old” are struggling.
PACS are built to store images and provide easy access to them. From X-ray to ultrasound, CT to MRI, today’s PACS should work with all of the most commonly used image types. But as the workforce becomes increasingly more mobile, and in some cases forced to become remote workers, there is an increased demand put on mobile PACS. Some vendors are stepping up to the challenge. In the case of OffSite Image Management, we’ve been stepping up for years.
According to a study by Technavio, a research firm, the PACS industry is set to grow by $1.17 billion from 2020 to 2024. Part of this growth is related directly to mobile technologies that allow radiologists to do their jobs more effectively while outside of the traditional office/imaging center.
Choosing the Right PACS
There are different remote PACS options out there and they’re not all built alike. For example, if you’re looking for an all-in-one hybrid solution, you need to partner with a vendor that can match their cloud-based technologies with your on-premise infrastructure. Not every vendor is going to be able to achieve all your compatibility demands.
For a true mobile/remote-friendly option, you have to choose a vendor that will offer you all the hardware and software tools you need, but provide them off-premise through a cloud-based method. This means that all the updates and upgrades will be carried out by the vendor, so you don’t have to carry out the time-consuming administrative duties.
Here are some of the things you may want to look for in a quality solution:
- On-site diagnostic workstation
- Unlimited storage
- Advanced logical expression
- 3D TOMOT BTO compliance
- Unlimited routing
- HL7 ORU interface options
- Modality worklist
- Browser-agnostic viewing
- Unlimited modality connections
- Software non-obsolescence
- Multiple FDA-approved workstations
- Structured reporting
You might not require all that islisted here, so make sure you choose a vendor that will only charge for what you need. And you should have the option to scale up or down as needed with your data storage.
At OffSite Image Management, we’ve offered remote PACS options for years. While radiology departments struggle to meet demands placed upon them today, we’re stepping up and bringing the remote PACS technology to providers large and small. Contact us and let’s talk about our PACS options and how we can help you improve patient care and your mobility at the same time.