In previous blog posts, you've been presented with a lot of high-level information giving you a strategic overview of the field of medical image sharing. Naturally, your very next question should be: "What should I actually do with this information?"
xMedical image sharing has come a long way since the discovery of x-rays in 1895, when you may have had to deliver radiography images to a physician by horseback or bicycle. In a sense, however, knowing the history of medical image sharing is more important than ever.
Many health care professionals and practices rely on a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) to store and manage their medical images. However, the benefits of having a modern PACS can extend beyond the storage of images and can become an integral part of the delivery of health care.
When people are in the market for an onsite or cloud-based picture archiving and communications system (PACS) solution, they usually focus on all the shiny new features that they'll be getting. It's often only after they've decided on a solution that they consider how they might be able to migrate their legacy medical data into their new PACS.
Doctors may choose to close or sell their practices for a variety of reasons: retirement, health issues, career changes; or in today's challenging reimbursement market: financial hardship. Whatever the cause may be, closing the door on your practice does not also close the door on your responsibility regarding the proper handling of your medical data. Instead, you need to consider how you'll handle future access and archives of patient records before you step away from your practice.
