Dear AuntMinnie Member,
There's no bigger headache in radiology than trying to integrate multiple imaging IT systems. And it's a problem that's becoming more common as radiology providers consolidate into larger systems.
Fortunately, help is on the way, in the form of a two-part series by senior editor Erik L. Ridley on how two healthcare systems in the U.S. Northeast dealt with their integration challenges. Based on presentations at this week's New York Medical Imaging Informatics Symposium, the articles explain how each system integrated what had been a patchwork of imaging informatics technology into a coherent whole.
You'll learn about the role of technologies such as vendor-neutral archives in creating a consistent informatics platform that can unify far-flung imaging facilities, as well as how to integrate other IT systems such as radiation dose management applications and business analytics software. Read both stories by visiting our PACS Digital Community at pacs.auntminnie.com.
Telerad patent lawsuit
While you're in the community, check out a new article that delves into recent litigation roiling the teleradiology industry: a patent suit filed by Virtual Radiologic (vRad) against a teleradiology software firm and its clients.
Virtual Radiologic claims that after several of its former employees left and joined Tandem Radiology, that company in a matter of months was able to release its own software platform that has "substantial similarities" to vRad software. Tandem and its customers deny the allegations and promise to fight the litigation. Learn more by clicking here.
Birnholz on ultrasound equipment
Meanwhile, ultrasound expert Dr. Jason Birnholz is back with a provocative article that assesses the state of ultrasound technology in 2013.
Dr. Birnholz takes scanners from five of the major ultrasound vendors on a test drive, assessing each of them for ergonomics, usability, and, of course, image quality. While he found a lot to like, he also had a number of concerns about each system ... although he was able to pick two finalists that he thought were serviceable.
Find out which ones made the cut by clicking here, or visit our Ultrasound Digital Community at ultrasound.auntminnie.com.
