As medical imaging professionals take advantage of digital platforms to advance their services, they will undoubtedly experience the opportunity to replace their existing PACS with the assistance of a vendor neutral archive. However, knowing exactly how these systems work can be a challenge for some providers.
Changing over with VNAs
At first glance, physicians may be inclined to think there is little that separates PACS from VNAs. A single clinical facility might have various PACS for every department that engages in digital imaging, along with closely managed storage solutions for each. Because the systems would have different standards, adopting updated programs can become a health IT nightmare without proper planning.
Individual storage solutions require considerable work and dedication, not to mention additional training and potential hiring of new staff. In addition, the disparate systems negatively impact cohesive data sharing around the enterprise. This greatly hinders the continuum of care.
According to EMC, this is where VNAs can offer substantial improvements over existing data repositories. But what actually separates them from PACS?
Learning the beneficial components
Iron Mountain explained that the purpose of VNAs is to remove specific vendor limits on what, when and how an enterprise stores its images and documents electronically. They can help providers maintain ownership of their data and freely share it with other physicians in the health system.
For a solution to be vendor neutral, it has to function with no noticeable differences between imaging applications. While it helps the end user, this requirement presents a significant challenge to vendors who want to provide viable services to customers. In addition, they must consist of three main components:
- A storage sub-system
- An interface that allows for the storage and retrieval of images
- A database that manages and remembers who, what, where, when and how images were stored.
Adopting VNAs into hospitals offers numerous benefits over existing software. For example, switching PACS can be completed without complex data migration. It also maximizes the return on investment for legacy PACS and various applications, Iron Mountain explained. Vendor neutrality calls for the usage of widely accepted standards at all component interfaces.
In the future, VNAs will require new PACS architecture shared by all vendors to enhance the documentation and sharing of clinical data. The shared storage environment will allow doctors to manage radiology data effectively and enhance the quality of their services.
Contact Viztek for more information.
Ronny Bachrach
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