Cloud-Based Medical Imaging Suite Improves Access to Radiology and Second Opinions

A large Internet cloud-based, medical image management suite is being used to power the exchange of images for non-profit organizations, and improve access to high-quality healthcare and second opinions for underserved communities around the globe.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO; Geneva, Switzerland), around four billion people are in urgent need of radiology services. Access to medical imaging is an important part of patient care and such tests are being made available to underserved communities worldwide by non-profit organizations.

The DICOM Grid (Phoenix, AZ, USA) – a Software as a Service (SaaS) – provides one of the largest cloud-based medical image management suites available. DICOM Grid is donating part of the subscription fees and implementation services of the image management suite used by RAD-AID (Chevy Chase, MD, USA), Partners In Health (Boston, MA, USA), and thesecondopinion (San Francisco, CA, USA).

RAD-AID is using DICOM Grid in Nepal to provide cloud Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) services, and performs around 100-150 exams every day in the country. Partners In Health is using DICOM Grid to providing modern medical imaging services to underserved communities in Haiti by sending imaging studies from a Mirebalais hospital in Haiti to volunteer radiologists in the US. Thesecondopinion uses DICOM Grid to provide improved imaging services for cancer patients with limited medical resources in the US.

According to Louise Secordel, program coordinator of the Medical Informatics Team of Partners In Health, said, “Since moving to DICOM Grid, the image transfer success rate has dramatically improved to 100%. As our hospital volume continues to grow with over 1,000 patient visits a day, fewer technological issues give us more time to focus upon education and preventive care."

Related Links:
World Health Organization
DICOM Grid
RAD-AID
Partners In Health
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