An important next step in the evolution of value-based care is incorporating Enterprise Imaging (EI) into the Electronic Health Record (EHR). This will enable healthcare enterprises to leverage longitudinal imaging records into clinical workflows seamlessly.Many current approaches rely on custom solutions from various vendors. Although bespoke solutions have the advantage of possibly selecting the best applications for each task, it shifts integration onto the healthcare organisation, promotes complexity, and often requires separate complex procurements to expand functionality. Platform solutions have the advantages of reduced complexity and native interoperability, which custom solutions lack.


Investment in EHR technologies in 2019 reached $14B. Although many of these solution investments improved data aggregation and access, patient-providers interaction, and supply chain management, they often failed to consider the unique needs of imaging service lines. This stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of EI’s function as an IT issue or a storage solution. EI requires unified organisational support across all relevant stakeholders, including organisational leadership, clinical, administrative, and IT. Often patient care is organised around clinical modalities, specialities, and departments, which results in a fragmented care approach. Rather patient care should be patient-centric through EHR integration. 




Advantages of an EI Platform Solution


Some of the key advantages of an EI Platform Solution include:


1. Improve clinical workflow
An EI platform can accommodate each clinical speciality by offering specific diagnostic tools and integrating machine learning to generate actionable insights from collected patient data.

2. Reduce ownership costs
An EI platform is less complex than customised solutions that do not natively integrate well together. Thus,it will require fewer resources to implement, maintain, and operate.

3. Organisational integration
An EI platform can eliminate data silos by offering a unified ecosystem that converges management and accessibility for all imaging data.


Building a Successful Enterprise Imaging Strategy

Building a successful enterprise imaging strategy requires a strong governance team. Despite having similar strategic initiatives, organisations with strong IT management and governance show 25% higher profits than organisations without.Thus, a task force can more effectively establish strategic objectives, direct the EI road map, allocate budget and resources, and provide implementation oversight.


1. Executive Sponsorship

The governance team should represent key stakeholder groups and functions across the organisation. Proper representation ensures that interdependencies are considered and balanced and establishes early engagement and buy-in.


2. Broad Representation

Since governance decisions will impact budgets, care delivery models, and culture, senior leadership must empower and visibly support the governance team to ensure fulfillment and accountability.


3. Empowered Decision Making

The governance team must set clear objectives to drive success. These objectives aim for better collaboration to accelerate diagnosis/treatment,streamline workflows and better measure care quality.

 

Vendor Selection

Organisations should seek a vendor to leverage their experience with other healthcare organisations and EI models to guide and optimise resources/timelines.Thus, the right vendor can proactively help identify and mitigate potential roadblocks and risks.


Source: Agfa HealthCare

 

«« Recent Diagnostic Centre Trends


Agfa HealthCare Receives MDR Certification »»



Latest Articles

enterprise imaging, 360 imaging, Enterprise Imaging Strategy, Enterprise Imaging Infrastructure An important next step in the evolution of value-based care is incorporating Enterprise Imaging (EI) into the Electronic Health Record (EHR)