The holiday season in upon us, and for many of us in the radiology and medical fields, that means heading to the Windy City of Chicago.
We’re smack dab in the middle of RSNA 2014 and we’ve seen quite a bit of exhibits and presentations. Of everything there is to see at RSNA this year, a few imaging buzzwords seem to stand out the most: real-time exchange, image-enabled EMR, and mobile friendly.
Real-Time Exchange
These days, people expect things to happen quickly and they want to have access to information immediately. In healthcare, this expectation is no different. The need for real-time exchange is especially apparent in medical imaging. When doctors want a second opinion from a physician at another location, real-time exchange allows them to send the medical images immediately, call up the other physician, and discuss the images right then and there. Having real-time exchange means time-to-care is reduced and patient experience is enhanced. With the surge in physicians implementing real-time exchange, it’s soon to be the norm in healthcare.
Image-Enabled EMR
Access to images is crucial in today’s healthcare system, and image-enabling your EMR is the easiest way to do that. It not only helps organizations comply with MU Stage 2 requirements, but it can also increase referrals, enhance the quality of care, and improve patient safety. When a physician is able to access patient images quickly and easily from the EMR, it can reduce the number of duplicate tests ordered, saving money and reducing the patient’s radiation exposure. Image-enabling your EMR can be as simple as including a link that accesses a patient’s images.
Mobile Friendly
Just like people expect things quickly, they also expect to be able to access that information wherever they are. For most people, that means having mobile access using cell phones or even tablets. The information can’t be accessed the same way on a phone as it can from a computer though. The sites and apps need to be optimized for mobile use and need to appear mobile friendly, meaning easy to use and adjusted to use on a smaller screen. These days, mobile friendly sites aren’t just a perk; it’s what people expect.
There you have it, 3 big topics that are being seen all around RSNA this year. And if you’re attending the conference, we’re live from the exhibits halls at booth #7110.
Catherine Slotnick is a passionate healthcare marketer with a deep interest in the latest & greatest in the Health IT space. As Ambra Health's senior marketing manager, Catherine primarily focuses on creating and sharing thought leadership content in the radiology and informatics space. Catherine graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in Psychology & Art History. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and petting dogs that aren't hers.
