Enterprise imaging strategies are priorities at many provider institutions. However, interoperability issues are standing between wish lists and project assignments—and IT leaders in provider organizations are wary about the potential for “unattainable image data” to set back patient care. 

“Creating the Image Enabled Enterprise” was the theme of the 2015 SIIM annual meeting, held May 28–30 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor, Md. Because this ambitious endeavor entails providing EMR access to DICOM and non-DICOM images from every hospital department and satellite site in the healthcare enterprise, it was subject of a Town Hall meeting on the first day of the conference.

Diagnostic Health (Hilton Head, S.C.), purchased CARESTREAM Vue RIS<http://www.carestream.com/vue-ris.html>, CARESTREAM Vue Cloud PACS<http://www.carestream.com/vue-cloud-based-services.html> and CARESTREAM Vue Cloud Archive<http://www.carestream.com/vue-cloud-based-services.html> to serve its five multi-modality imaging centers in Texas and Pennsylvania. The company, which is owned and operated by SDI, Inc., evaluated five suppliers prior to selecting Carestream.

Radiologists are clinicians consultants. We direct clinical management based on our expert interpretation of patient images. Yet, in many cases, radiology reports may not reflect our clinical expertise. Common problems include overuse of vague terminology and omission of the impression. Addressing these flaws can go a long way toward meeting clinicians needs and improving patient care.

Cloud computing technology—a market that Merrill Lynch values at $95 billion over the next five years—has recently begun to move  into healthcare. However, questions remain about how facilities and departments, including radiology, will fully take advantage of these zero footprint solutions.