Selecting a suitable radiology software system can be a challenging and tiring task for directors of radiology. You can help your department by being conversant with these types of technologies. This way, you can participate in important decision-making and help your department reap the benefits associated with effective radiology software systems and the resulting improvements in workflow.
That said, image center managers need to understand several factors to make the right choice when selecting radiology software systems.
Three Factors to Consider When Choosing Radiology Software Systems
To improve workflow, here are several factors that you should consider when choosing radiology software systems.
1. Features and Capabilities
Radiology software system vendors often emphasize the features that are visible in their product demos. While some of these can help the heads of radiology make appropriate choices, they may not be enough. As the hospital head of technology or chief radiologist, you need to know the deeper features and capabilities of this type of software.
With a greater understanding of the underlying features and capabilities of radiology software systems, you can identify the ones that can optimize your workflow.
In particular, being conversant with the importance of integrated patient records in storyboard formats, patient scheduling, HL7 compliance, Vendor Neutral Archives, cloud-based storage technologies, and image-sharing capabilities can be a game-changer for your facility.
For example, with Novarad’s Enterprise Imaging solution, your team can reap storyboard-related benefits that can help improve workflows. These benefits include reducing inefficiencies through centralized imaging and enabling secure and instantaneous communication between radiology teams.
In another instance, knowing the importance of Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM)-compliant image sharing solutions can help you identify a radiology software system that integrates the highly secure Object Vault cloud system. This can also help you understand how this improves your workflow. Ultimately, with knowledge of DICOM-compliant image-sharing systems, you can find an award-winning solution like CryptoChart.
With CryptoChart, your facility can improve its workflow by working with DICOM images stored in different picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) and modalities. Novarad’s Object Vault cloud system enables the secure sharing of patient images via a QR code. This ensures that your patients and referring physicians can easily view and share images, improving radiology workflows and enhancing treatment outcomes.
2. Company/Vendor history
Understanding a radiology software system vendor’s history plays a vital role in selecting a system that’s most suited for your workflow needs. Specifically, working with a vendor that has decades of technology leadership can help your facility invest in a radiology software system that can help unlock your competitive edge.
Working with Novarad can help your facility leverage more than three decades of tech leadership and customer-focused solutions. With tried-and-tested solutions like CryptoChart, Ncompass and Universal Viewer, NovaPACS, and Nova RIS, your facility can eliminate workflow-related bottlenecks.
For instance, investing in Novarad’s enterprise imaging solution enables your facility to reduce inefficiencies and cut costs with centralized imaging. Due to the simplified and centralized storage of different departments’ records, your facility can reduce hardware costs and improve access to vital patient records, enhancing your facility’s workflows. Furthermore, the enterprise imaging solution automates manual tasks, eliminating the inefficiencies associated with delayed scanning and printing images in electronic medical records. With improved access to centralized records and the automation of manual tasks with the PACS, your facility can boost its workflows and ultimately, improve treatment outcomes.
Investing in radiology software systems from a company that has built a name in the radiology space helps you adopt systems that are highly compliant. In Novarad’s case, investing in the company’s solutions can help your facility tap the benefits of high-quality radiology solutions that comply with regulatory requirements and safety standards
Alternatively, selecting radiology software systems from companies without a credible history puts your radiology facility at risk. You might invest in a solution that’s not compliant with HIPAA guidelines or not optimized to improve workflows. Ultimately, your facility could become more susceptible to HIPAA-related disruptions, inefficient diagnostic imaging, and workflow bottlenecks.
3. Support, updates, and upgrades
Simplified updates and upgrades and reliable support can unlock your radiology facility’s competitive edge. Having 24/7 support can help cut learning curves and resolve hiccups with no downtime.
For West Houston Radiology Group, integrating Novarad’s NCompass and Nova RIS systems into their operations was seamless due to the 99.99% uptime and unmatched and reliable support. With the support from Novarad’s staff, West Houston managed to eliminate hiccups without disrupting their workflows. Within one year, the radiology group managed to achieve a return on their investment.
Your facility can also improve its workflow by integrating Novarad’s solutions. Your facility will enjoy improved access to radiology images, improved compliance and security, and seamless multispecialty collaboration, all without hitches.
Here at Novarad, we believe that the key to a successful imaging center is to work smarter, not harder, to deliver the type of care and outcomes that patients desire.
To see how we can help improve your workflows, feel free to reach out to our workflow specialists today!
