VNAs can Provide the Image Integration That EHRs Lack

With health care providers on the lookout for beneficial innovations to enhance their services, products such as electronic health records have experienced significant gains. When it comes to medical imaging, the popularity of vendor neutral archives has risen among radiologists.

According to HealthcareITNews, the volume and variety of diagnostic images has continually increased in recent years, especially with the industry moving toward electronic data as the standard for all health information. But with a range of developers on the market, doctors need to find better ways to store and access images – enter VNAs. Back in April 2014, business consulting firm Frost and Sullivan estimated that the market for these platforms would reach $210 million in the next four years.

Following the stipulations of Meaningful Use established by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, practices have to successfully participate in health information exchange to receive financial incentives from the federal government. Due to the amount of disparate PACS systems that can be operating among health systems, VNAs can facilitate the sharing of imaging data between providers.

“A VNA separates out the archival functionality from the PACS. With a VNA, you minimize the need for future migration because organizations switch PACS over time,” said Mike Leonard, director of product management for health IT services at Boston-based archiving company Iron Mountain, quoted by HealthcareITNews.

The biggest advantage of VNAs is that they can handle a variety of image types without being restricted by single vendors. This is especially important considering that many EHRs are not capable of including images for providers to review at the point of care.

Woes of integrating digital imaging into EHRs
With radiologists aiming to cut down on instances of duplicate testing, it has become essential for scan results to be added to EHRs. However, image management has become a growing concern for health IT staff, as the amount of storage needed to maintain archives can be cumbersome, EHRIntelligence reported.

Because EHR vendors are behind on integrating diagnostic imaging into their software, providers may begin to see the increased value that VNAs can bring to their facilities. By giving users unfettered access to the PACS portion of clinical information, practices can bolster engagement and develop new strategies to connect patients with their doctors and vice versa. It can eliminate concerns over storage due to the robust space available on the VNA platform.

Contact Viztek for more information.

About
Latest Posts

Ronny Bachrach

Marketing Director at Viztek LLC

Responsible for all marketing activities including, press, advertising, trade show coordination, website management, dealer and customer communications.