As health care moves deeper in the world of electronic data, the debate swirls around the adoption of either PACS systems or vendor neutral archives. Many providers have been scratching their heads trying to determine what makes the two products different and how they can benefit from implementing them.
According to Physician's Practice, many PACS vendors now offer platforms that operate similarly to VNAs and thus muddy decision-making. While VNAs have been around for almost a decade, they have experienced a recent uptick in popularity. Care centers are faced with increasing demands for expanded health data sharing, including diagnostic radiology. In addition, complying with Meaningful Use and enhancing clinical efficiency means that providers are turning to new systems for assistance.
Changing technologies at hospitals is not an easy decision, as the cost of keeping up with advancements can be significantly higher with more products being released. With administrators identifying their facilities' wants and needs, they require a product that can meet immediate issues and continue to deliver solutions long after implementation.
Comparing apples to apples
Active Archive explained that more PACS users are evaluating their existing systems and holding them up against VNAs. Transitioning DICOM data from one platform to another can be a time consuming and expensive process, depending on the size of the facility. If done incorrectly, the migration of images can negatively impact clinical workflows.
For many providers, coordinating care across practices has become one of the main issues driving decisions to upgrade existing software.
"Communication among physicians and between physicians and patients is paramount, and mobility provides the flexibility and freedom to discuss outcomes and diagnoses with other physicians," said Pierre Lemire, president and chief technology officer for Calgary Scientific, quoted by Physician's Practice. "For example, they can take images into a patient's room for a private discussion. Or, consider an acute scenario dealing with a stroke – with strokes, time is brain. If we can give physicians access to images from a PACS or VNA more quickly, then they can make a faster diagnosis and start the appropriate treatment process."
Picking the best system
Selecting PACS or VNA solutions is difficult, but providers need to be sure that the product they are interested in is a legitimate VNA and not a re-branded PACS. Some vendors might label their products as VNAs even though the systems do not offer robust interoperability. The key to picking the best platform is flexibility and ease of use. Without them, adoption and implementation might cost more than the product itself.
After choosing the ideal system, providers must ensure a smooth migration from PACS to VNA. Facility stakeholders need to be consulted on various factors, and doctors have to educated on using the new software. Otherwise, clinical processes could slow down and impact patient care.
When medical imaging practices choose to upgrade data management, they have to give considerable thought to the future. With VNAs, images can be accessed from a range of modalities and sent to various facilities with little concern over compatibility.
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Ronny Bachrach
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