Cloud-based technology offers a secure, swift, and inexpensive alternative to traditional media storage that must be welcomed by modern medical facilities
Key Takeaways:
- Most healthcare organizations stick to using CDs because they think it is working fine and cumbersome technological upgrades are not needed
- They are also fearful that an upgrade may make their data vulnerable to cyberattacks
- Skepticism about meeting HIPAA guidelines with new technologies is also inhibiting digital transformation for healthcare facilities
- The physical disk strategy is not only wasting healthcare providers’ and patients’ time but also incurring unjustifiable extra costs
- Cloud technology offers a secure, efficient, and cost-effective alternative for medical image data sharing
Sticking to strategies that seem to work fine and ignoring available alternatives is not a smart line to toe. Opening yourself up to new ideas and solutions can pay huge dividends in the long run. Unfortunately, many healthcare organizations are still using the obsolete method of sharing medical image data via physical media like CDs and film.
A reality check can quickly show that #ditchthedisk is not only a trending hashtag but also the only viable strategy for the future of healthcare image storage and sharing.
Why healthcare organizations persist with using CDs
Surveys have shown that 80% of healthcare organizations are still using CDs for transferring medical imaging. Let’s have a look at the reasons behind this obstinate use of CDs by such a major pie of the industry.
- Avoidance of another upgrade
Many healthcare organizations that have gone through technological upgrades in the past couple of years don’t want to land themselves in another tech transformation. Professionals who have only just accustomed themselves to the latest tech are often, understandably, wary of shaking hands with another new kid on the block.
The erroneous assumption that another technology-based transformation will be time-consuming and expensive is barring a lot of healthcare facilities from making their next move.
Resultantly, most organizations are still stuck with CDs as their main means for sharing medical image data.
- The HIPAA compliance factor
Many Healthcare facilities find themselves comfortable using CDs because they believe it’s safe. They hand out the CD and get a form signed by the patient, which frees them from any regulatory liability such as HIPAA.
A belief that shifting to an advanced digital solution may make patient data vulnerable to breaches induces reluctance. As a result, many healthcare organizations prefer to stay with the status quo — which means they are not done with the CDs yet. This unfounded HIPAA anxiety is considered to be one of the biggest impediments on the path to a disk-free healthcare environment.
Why sticking to disks is a bad idea
Disk usage might be comprehensible, but it is still not advisable. An unbiased analysis can easily reveal why ditching the disk is the best way forward. Let’s have a look at two of the most significant negative impacts of the disk strategy.
- It wastes valuable time
The survey mentioned above found that over 84 days are wasted annually on CDs through burning, uploading, and matching patient data. And 81% of healthcare organizations have reported that CDs take considerable time to visualize and manage.
With CDs, it takes patients an average of more than three days to get access to their medical imaging reports. In an emergency scenario, CDs also hamper immediate doctor access to reports and images. Uploading medical images, receiving the CDs, and then planning patient care takes up precious time when CDs are involved.
- CDs translate to financial losses
A children’s healthcare facility, Cincinnati Children’s, receives around 30,000 outside medical imaging studies per year. It cost the facility $10 to burn each CD with medical images, which incurred a price of hundreds of thousands of dollars per annum. The facility eventually decided to ditch the disk, which helped them save considerable sums of money.
Survey statistics suggest that healthcare organizations can save up to $78k by eliminating CDs from their medical imaging data sharing strategy.
The cloud technology alternative
Cloud technology presents itself as the best solution for medical image data sharing. Many case studies suggest cloud technology is a game-changer for healthcare facilities.
One of the most important cloud tech advantages is that it enables hospital staff to send and receive medical images rapidly without the need to do rescans. This aspect of cloud technology is vital for providing prompt care to trauma patients.
Cloud-based solutions are convenient to implement and user-friendly. Healthcare professionals can easily learn how to use these systems with basic training.
The availability of HIPAA-compliant, cloud-based medical imaging storage solutions means healthcare facilities don’t need to worry about data breaches. Cloud technology is not only a secure option in terms of cyberattacks but also for data recovery in case of a natural disaster.
Another noteworthy benefit of cloud technology is cost-effectiveness. Compared to disk use, the cloud solution can save facilities considerable sums of money.
Making a move to newer technologies often depends on decisions by top healthcare executives. Educating these executives about the benefits of the latest technology can result in a change of mindset, and embracing new ideas often yields positive outcomes.
Share XR is a unique, cloud-based system that makes sharing medical image data swift and simple. The system is HIPAA compliant and completely encrypted. It provides hassle-free communication between physicians, patients, and other healthcare service providers and it can quickly transfer large medical image files, such as MRIs and CT scans, to anyone who needs to review them.
Share XR is an inexpensive solution that works on all compatible devices regardless of location. You can contact us today for more information about Share XR.
