From the January 2017 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
This service line focus leads to creating separate silos of imaging data that restricts the ability to effectively manage and exchange information across the health system. Current IT infrastructures do not allow for imaging data to be shared across all departments and services. Image access through the EHR is not a new concept, and quite a few health care systems have image-enabled the EHR with access to radiology images stored in the PACS. However, beyond radiology, most of the imaging content acquired or captured remains within the image-producing departments and cannot be exchanged or viewed beyond the confines of that department.
Another challenge is the increasing sources of imaging content from the proliferation of stand-alone point-of-care imaging devices such as ultrasounds and handheld mobile devices. In most cases, these devices are not integrated with any system and there are no standardized image acquisition processes or study naming conventions to associate the imaging capture event with a patient. Images are being acquired, but not well managed within this space.
Handheld mobile devices not only allow caregivers to communicate and access clinical data, but have also become image acquisition devices that allow caregivers to visually document patient conditions. These photographs are stored on unsecured mobile devices and electronically shared with other caregivers through email or messaging. As part of an enterprise imaging initiative, a mobile imaging strategy will help develop secure image capture workflows and allow these photographs to be viewed as part of the patient’s longitudinal record in the EHR.
Opportunities
When faced with challenges, there are always opportunities that present themselves. With all these challenges facing health care organizations in the clinical imaging space, developing an enterprise imaging strategy can begin to create a foundation to manage imaging content. An enterprise imaging strategy is a structured set of initiatives and programs that begin to align department imaging programs with enterprise imaging initiatives like providing global access to all imaging content. It helps establish standard department workflows that associate patient information with an imaging event and enables the consolidation and indexing of image data to begin to collapse the restrictive silos into a centrally managed imaging infrastructure. An enterprise-driven program to consolidate data and the development of an image access model enhances continuity of care and coordination across the entire continuum of care. Imaging content is now available to all caregivers at the point of care and a longitudinal record of all the imaging data is now part of the electronic health record.
