Over time, health care has become an industry where the efforts of the collaborative have contributed to massive successes, especially in Medical Imaging. Utilizing the resources of a third party company can facilitate production of high quality procedures in diagnostic radiology as well as sharing information across disparate systems, such as Vendor Neutral Archives.
Leveraging the technologies and expertise of third party integration companies can make health data more readily available and usable among various practices. But with the added costs of bringing in another company to assist with workflow, the question has to be raised: Is it worth it?
What is HL7?
Interoperability has become one of the largest issues in health care today, as the federal government is pushing for improved technologies that permit providers to connect with one another. This would allow physicians to extend their services beyond the initial visit and share data using Electronic Medical Records Software.
HL7 is most commonly used in health care to connect the different systems of technology that provide a range of services to patients. Typically, these modalities are unable to communicate with each other, which can have a negative impact on the quality of care being delivered.
According to HL7 Standards, the HL7 interface is one of the most widely used platforms for facilitating communication between clinical applications. Rather than opt for the industry standard, some companies choose to create their own custom interfaces. While these can sometimes be tailored to suit the needs of an individual facility or imaging center, their associated costs might also be considerable higher than those of HL7 vendors.
What are the benefits?
Although the draw of using a tailored, customized interface can be strong for providers, there are considerable benefits for choosing an HL7 engine. When selecting imaging equipment, many physicians are doing so in the hope that their systems will last for a long period of time.
Many would argue that picking HL7 ensures that the information technology already in place can be extended, negating any need to make major reinvestments into newer equipment. This can help facilities and centers lower their overall costs and increase the efficiency of their existing systems.
Additionally, HL7 can greatly benefit Digital Imaging facilities, as they are typically an outsourced service. The standard interface could allow both the radiologist and the referring physician to better communicate on patient health statuses and test results from imaging scans.
Are they worth it?
With federal programs such as Meaningful Use and the Electronic Health Records Incentive Program in place to make medical practices more interoperable, physicians are striving to integrate their facilities with one another.
There are many third party integration companies on the market, each offering its own products to the benefit of imaging centers. As much as providers want to cut costs and improve their revenue cycles, the advantages of using an outside company for integration technology cannot be easily dismissed. When discussing new opportunities that could better the performance of their practices, providers should give serious consideration to the benefits of third party companies.
Contact Viztek for More Information
Ronny Bachrach
Latest posts by Ronny Bachrach (see all)
- Konica Minolta Debuts First-of-Its-Kind Digital U-Arm System at AHRA - July 27, 2016
- Researchers Detect Signs Of Stroke Risk Using MRI - June 27, 2016
- Imaging Biz: Q&A with David S. Channin MD: How to Make PACS Patient Centered - June 22, 2016
0
0
0
