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Enterprise imaging systems are gaining popularity in healthcare
Editor's note
Medical imaging technology is evolving. While vendor-neutral archives, or VNAs, and picture archiving and communication systems, or PACS, are still at the top of the imaging market, the healthcare industry is beginning to adopt enterprise imaging systems.
Unlike traditional imaging that is "ology"-specific, enterprise imaging seeks to centralize data and workflow in one system. Some of the benefits of enterprise imaging include improved patient care and efficiency, reduced costs and greater interoperability.
This guide will explore the current state of medical imaging, including where VNAs and PACS currently stand in the market, new technological innovations and the future of enterprise imaging.
1What the future holds for enterprise imaging
New innovations are improving medical imaging, and healthcare organizations are reaping the benefits. Mobile and wearable devices are two technological advances that are transforming the way providers deliver care, and the cloud is making it possible for healthcare organizations to scale medical imaging systems based on their needs.
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How the healthcare industry benefits from medical imaging advances
Mobile in imaging and wearable devices allows providers to engage with patients before and after they leave the hospital. One radiologist believes mobile, in particular, allows providers to step out of their comfort zone and extend patient care beyond the confines of the hospital. Read Now
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Medical imaging advancements could lead to personalized treatment
Medical imaging is evolving to the point where it can detect a disease such as Alzheimer's in its early stages based on subtle changes in the brain. New innovations could also lead to personalized treatment after diagnosing symptoms such as chest pain. Read Now
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Benefits of the cloud in medical imaging
As the healthcare industry moves from a departmental approach to imaging to an enterprise approach, the cloud allows providers to better integrate with electronic medical records and health information exchanges. The cloud also allows providers to deploy complex algorithms from tablets and smartphones. Read Now
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Advanced medical imaging and data science abet value-based care
Radiologists are becoming able to apply technology such as artificial intelligence to gain a deeper understanding of patients and potentially develop customized treatment programs. Read Now
2Protecting enterprise imaging systems from cyberattacks
Enterprise imaging systems aren't immune to cyberthreats, but the risk for attacks grows exponentially if an organization is unaware of what systems are in its network. Employees can also unknowingly compromise the security of enterprise imaging systems, making regular training a critical step in keeping those systems protected. Finally, getting all of the different departments within a healthcare organization can help identify or resolve a cyberattack.
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Medical imaging systems are lacking in security
Medical imaging systems such as PACS have "poor security hygiene" because their architecture isn't updated to safeguard protected health information, according to one health IT expert. This leaves the systems open to hacks that can jeopardize patient data and safety. Read Now
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Employee training can improve medical imaging cybersecurity
Lack of awareness around the cybersecurity of medical imaging systems is just as much of a threat as technological exploits. Providing employees with training that is specific to their job function and experience can help raise awareness. Read Now
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Asset management is critical to protecting medical imaging systems
Before an organization can protect its medical imaging systems, it needs to first know what assets it has. An asset management plan should track an imaging system from purchase to disposal and ensure all protected health information is wiped from the device prior to disposal. Read Now
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Securing medical imaging systems is a multidepartment effort
In the event of a cybersecurity breach to a medical imaging system, multiple departments in the healthcare organization will have to work together to resolve the issue quickly. This includes the IT department, all the way up through the C-suite. Read Now



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3Storing medical images
Storage is a big concern for medical imaging files. Imaging-heavy departments such as radiology can generate 10,000 GB -- 10 TB -- a year, which can quickly deplete any existing storage capacity. In order to prevent data loss, healthcare organizations should consider flash, redundancy and the cloud to store medical images.
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Health data storage technology evolves to accommodate medical images
One storage expert predicts flash will replace everything in the data center, therefore making it easier to store large medical image files. Read Now
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Requirements for medical imaging storage technology
Any technology used to store medical images needs to be expandable to accommodate large files and should be configured for redundancy to minimize the chances of data loss. Read Now
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Advantages of the cloud for medical imaging storage
The cloud allows providers to access medical images from anywhere, and it can be scaled based on storage needs. It also allows providers to keep costs down by only paying for what they use. Read Now