Dear Enterprise Imaging Insider,
In today's healthcare environment, it's critical for radiology departments to optimize their workflow. However, that goal can be challenging to achieve after hours when fewer radiologists are available.
A group of researchers recently shared their success with a quality improvement project aimed at reducing report turnaround times for certain inpatient radiography exams during call shifts. By unifying multiple radiology worklists into a unified worklist, their academic institution was able to reduce turnaround times for these studies by nearly 20%, according to this edition's Insider Exclusive.
In other news, national radiology group and teleradiology services provider Aris Radiology has discontinued operations. Aris, which acquired several radiology groups and teleradiology service providers in the early and middle part of the decade, apparently was forced to close its doors after their lending agency declined to provide the firm with additional funding.
Consultant Michael J. Cannavo, also known as the PACSman, has produced a two-part series on digital pathology systems. In part 1, Cannavo reviewed the financial challenges in implementing a digital pathology system and ways to make that investment more attainable. Part 2 describes how a digital pathology system can provide value in healthcare systems. Among the advantages: accessibility of complete information in electronic health records, the ability to connect pathology findings with radiology results, and the implementation of precision medicine through artificial intelligence.
Despite much publicity over the last several years, unprotected PACS servers continue to be a clear and present security problem. In the U.S., the situation seems to be an unstoppable information security and data privacy disaster, according to German security firm Greenbone Networks.
Do you have an idea for a story you'd like to see covered in the Enterprise Imaging Community? As always, please feel free to drop me a line.
