With the federal government attempting to reform the state of American health care, and a vendor market that is constantly competitive, the industry is being modernized at an accelerated pace. As providers look for ways to improve the quality of care and trim their expenses, technology, such as electronic health records, and the advent of Meaningful Use have fueled the fundamental – and technical – changes.
More health systems are beginning to focus on the growing innovations in Medical Imaging and Health Information Exchange that can foster an increase in profits. However, the purchase and adoption of technology is dependent on the strategy and organization in place at each specific care center. The key to a successful solution lies in choosing the right vendor that will meet the requirements of a given facility, including factors like networking, storage, workflow and user interfaces.
The implementation of solutions is often handled by the IT department, yet the changes to workflow caused by new products will have an impact on the clinical side of health care, as well. Various PACS Software systems allow for remote access to imaging results and patient portals to boost engagement opportunities for physicians. Because of this, practices should be utilizing the request for proposal process to determine which vendor provides the best fit for the organization based on budget and clinical requirements.
Utilizing RFP in health care
According to Advance Healthcare Network Executive Insight, the RFP process is a system first developed by the federal government for requesting and awarding competitive bids for contracts. For health care, the same method can be applied by practice administrators to select the vendor that will optimize the facility’s performance. However, one of the drawbacks about the RFP process is how long it can take – anywhere from 12 to 18 months. This can have a negative effect on the productivity and workflow of a health system, as physicians and other staff members must dedicate their time to research, writing proposals and reviewing copious amounts of vendor information.
The trick to implementing a successful RFP process is accelerating the timeline for adoption. It can be challenging to evaluate vendors because the market environment is volatile. Vendors who compete may merge with one another or go out of business before the RFP is finished. Additionally, a relatively unknown developer may release a new product during the process that launches it to the forefront of the industry, causing the research team to revise or restart its efforts.
Instead of falling victim to slow planning, administrators should opt for a more dynamic RFP process that can take three to five months rather than a full year. When the planning timetable is shorter, C-level executives and Diagnostic Imaging specialists would be more likely to participate. With the ever changing market landscape, the dynamic RFP forces the team members to stay on task and achieve progress at every turn.
Weeding through PACS
InformationWeek reported that nearly 80 percent of new sales in the PACS market can be attributed to replacing older systems. Most health systems are purchasing second-generation equipment that utilizes newer innovations, such as cloud-based technology, which is growing in popularity by the day. For most providers, developers that provide enterprise-wide image sharing that is vendor-agnostic are the best possible option.
With the industry shift from quantity- to quality-based services, practices should be looking to adopt systems that focus on patients as the center of health care. Interoperability is an essential component that radiologists and other physicians will be seeking out when conducting a dynamic RFP. When the systems are able to “talk” to one another, they can benefit each specialist within the health system. Additionally, other features, such as teleradiology, customized interfaces and voice recognition software, can add significant value to a PACS system.
Cloud-based products are becoming increasingly popular options for facilities that want to bolster patient engagement. These systems can be game changers when it comes to giving patients access to their own medical images and EHRs. In Diagnostic radiology, a PACS should offer enhanced reporting capabilities that accelerate turnaround times and improve the overall accuracy of procedure results. As providers begin to narrow down their choices, they should pick a PACS vendor that has up-to-date technology that serves to improve workflows and reduce overhead costs.
Measuring the future of PACS
With a range of vendors filling the market with viable PACS products that would benefit a variety of health care providers, the future is bright for this medical imaging technology. More facilities are shifting to vendor-agnostic systems, as administrators realize that sticking with one developer is not the best course of action for the facility.
“I think that’s the big thing. The days are gone where you would buy everything from one vendor,” said Keith Dreyer, M.D., vice chairman of radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, quoted by InformationWeek.
Imaging facilities have to adopt more layered infrastructure to take advantage of the numerous options available to them. Otherwise, they could get left behind as other practices launch forward into the future of modern health care.
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Ronny Bachrach
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