The technology used to digitally store and access electronic images created from ultrasound, tomography, endoscopy, magnetic resonance, and other imaging systems, is called Picture Archiving and Communication System, or PACS. Until recently, PACS images were either handled physically by staff or stored electronically on-site in secure servers at the medical provider’s facility. Now, with the gateway appliance developed by the healthcare IT imaging company using NEI’s appliance and software model technology, the secure storage of PACS files is possible in a cloud environment, making them more accessible and faster to retrieve.
The system built by the medical image provider generates a web-safe version of all of the PACS images in a matrix format and creates an anonymous and searchable index of files. Access to all of the images is available via a standard web browser, combining LAN speed and continuity with Cloud access and availability. Healthcare IT providers can collaborate online with this system, share studies with other hospitals and physicians, and interact dynamically with it. Also, by supplying a small local cache with its system, the medical image provider can ensure that information systems continue to run and operate even during PACS downtime, making the Cloud virtually invisible to the clinicians.
The gateway appliance and software system provided by NEI that allowed the medical image provider to develop this new application in healthcare IT
This healthcare IT appliance uses NEI’s Element Manager to automate OS updates and patch deployments. The Element Manager Suite is a managerial software application that monitors the health and condition of the appliance, automates operating system and patch deployments, provides updates and back-ups of the appliance software stack, and centralizes application control. It is part of an overall package provided by NEI to maximize the lifecycle of the appliance, ensure the integrity of the data, and minimize downtime and workflow disruptions.
NEI worked with the medical image provider during the design, evaluation, and test phases of the gateway appliance to make sure it was fully compliant with HIPAA requirements before go-live. The end result is a major advancement in the storage and retrieval of all types of PACS data in compressed format, pushed to the Cloud on a secure system independent of patient information. It is changing the way healthcare IT managers handle EHRs.
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