Using Enterprise Imaging Strategies: A Collaborative Approach to Care

The world of medical imaging is rapidly evolving. Innovative technology, artificial intelligence, and optimized processes fine-tune workflows to improve diagnosis capabilities, reduce waste, and create a comprehensive approach to Diagnostic Imaging and medical media management. Imaging techniques, practices, and equipment have advanced, providing clinicians with views of the human body and its functions that have allowed the healthcare industry to combat countless illnesses and conditions. Advanced imaging — using precision and detail never seen before —has influenced how we perform surgeries, identify illnesses, diagnose life-threatening conditions, and heal and help our patients.

Though imaging is a cornerstone in the function and success of a hospital, the expense of equipment, maintenance, training, and the perpetual evolution of technology making machines obsolete within years of installation comes with the need to select functional and versatile equipment that will not only last but also provide the most optimized and robust set of tools. This is critical in rural and small community facilities that may struggle with limited resources or budget restrictions requiring limits to what technology to invest in.

While some institutions are equipped with the latest and greatest technology, patients utilizing their local small or rural hospitals may experience the obstacles of America’s structured healthcare system, which include requiring referrals, encountering lengthy wait times, and extra requirements before having access to imaging technology that could influence their health outcomes. A better solution might rest with the collaborative work of enterprise imaging.

Enterprise imaging is a recognized term for strategies and processes used to align the acquisition, storage, viewing, distribution, and management of clinical imaging to optimize patients’ electronic medical records across a healthcare system.

The extent of content that could be managed through an enterprise imaging solution starts with the standard DICOM images obtained in radiology but could expand into other media content, such as scope imaging and exams using visual representations of data such as charts or diagrams and photographs.

A unified network of image sharing allows for seamless care across specialties and institutions, opening opportunities for a more comprehensive and equitable approach to patient care. 

The foundation of enterprise imaging is a shared picture archiving and communications system (PACS), which, paired with a unified electronic medical record spanning across affiliate institutions, allows for seamless patient care between them. Other benefits include system support for machine maintenance, which often requires downtime and restricts access and use of that modality. In the worst case scenarios, these are unplanned, which could result in equipment being out of commission for several days to weeks.

Further benefits to an enterprise imaging strategy include telehealth connections: providing specialist support immediately to small hospitals and allowing for a real-time assessment of a patient’s condition through virtual assessment and shared image access. This collaborative approach to urgent and emergent care allows for patients to be assessed in their preferred local hospitals while simultaneously ensuring a higher level of care is immediately available if needed. Investing in an enterprise imaging strategy creates an opportunity to provide patient resources through facility partnerships, creating connections to expand and align access to specialty care.

Nicole LaRoche is the Radiology Manager of Operations at Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital. She has worked in Radiology for 16 years across various modalities and acuities. She has a Bachelor’s in Science Radiology focus, and a Master’s in Healthcare Administration. She lives in Andover, N.H., with her family.