In what is becoming an annual tradition, I have written an article on Imaging IT trends for 2023, which is published in HealthCareBusiness.
Chronicling changes in both technology and industry with those in healthcare provider organizations, the article covers everything from Cloud, AI, Multimedia Reporting, to expanding expectations from healthcare provider system leadership from their staff.
On Friday, November 18, 2022, 12:00pm – 1:00pm ET, I will be participating in a webinar with the esteemed Dr. Chris Roth, MD, MMCI, FSIIM.
Covering a wide range of topics related to enterprise imaging, PACS, and trends in imaging informatics, Jason Nagels and David Kwan will moderate.
There is no cost to attend, but you must register. More information here.
Enterprise Imaging Webinar
Friday November 18, 12-1 pm ET
HealthCareBusiness asked me to provide an article on some of the trends that I have been seeing in Imaging IT, including RIS, Reporting, and PACS (including Enterprise Imaging, Cloud, AI, and Pricing Models), along with some other general market trends.
If you prefer to read it in the magazine’s reader app (runs in your browser), you can use this link.
Over the years, I have found that many working in imaging informatics understand the basics of how patient identity is managed in healthcare information systems. In today’s Consolidated Enterprises, where the historic imaging exam data for a given person may be indexed by many different patient identities, and perhaps cross-referenced by an Enterprise Master Patient Index (EMPI), ensuring that all a patient’s records are accurately associated with the correct Patient Identity (ID) requires understanding of the information models and values that may be in use at the enterprise. Along with the strategy and vision for how Patient IDs will be managed in future.
New data acquired in other enterprises continues to come into an enterprise’s imaging IT systems. From data migration associated with system consolidation (for example, as part of organizational merger or acquisition activities) to programs that involve data exchange—such as importing outside exams prior to appointments, teleradiology, or the sharing of systems with affiliates—ensuring that your imaging IT systems can safely and reliably handle all the potential complexities is important.
In the JDI article, “Patient Identity Management Maturity Model (PIM3) for Imaging Information Technology Systems” (Note: access to the Journal of Digital Imaging, such as that provided by SIIM membership, is required) a maturity model for assessing both an enterprise’s needs (today and potentially in future) and the capabilities of a given imaging IT system is proposed.
The intent is to establish a simple, hierarchical model by which both healthcare system operators and vendors can easily match needs with capabilities.
In addition to the proposed model, the paper provides an overview of many patient identity management concepts, data standards, along with challenges and potential methods of addressing them. Those interested in simply learning more about patient ID management in imaging informatics and IT systems may find the paper informative.
Medical Imaging Informatics and Teleradiology (MIIT) is once again virtual, but the format of this year’s meeting is new. Instead of the traditional full-day of content, MIIT21 will be organized into half a day’s content available in spring and again in the fall. Sessions will be pre-recorded, with a live faulty roundtable for each session.
There will also be a live Keynote session on Thu 25-Mar-2021 at 4 pm ET. Dr. Rasu Shrestha, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Atrium Health, will give a talk titled “Confronting Reality – Reimagining the Next Normal for Healthcare”.
The live keynote and two faculty roundtables will be recorded and available to registered attendees after they are complete.
Our speakers will cover topics such as AI and Fairness, updates in data standards, updates on gender in HL7, AI deployment, research programs in data science, global health outreach, structured reporting in Enterprise Imaging, and an expert panel on the progress and vision of Diagnostic Imaging Repositories (DIR) in Canada.
The full program can be found here.
Register today by clicking on the “Register Now” button on the main MIIT webpage.
As Co-chair, I also want to thank our generous sponsors. Without their support, we would be unable to deliver this important educational content.
MIIT is accredited by the Continuing Education Credit Approval Program (CECAP). Registered attendees must log in and review all the MIIT content to earn 10 Category A CE Credits.
As someone that has mostly worked from home for over seven years, I understand the value of digital communication and collaboration. In healthcare, we have had many digital tools for more virtual experiences, but have been slow to adopt them. The COVID-19 pandemic has caught many organizations with paper-based and analog processes flat footed.
Education is no different than healthcare and other organizations that have heavily depended on in-person settings. While there is no doubt an in-person conference is more personal and provides social networking opportunities, content can easily be delivered online (the slides and audio are all digital, right?).
This year’s Medical Imaging Informatics and Teleradiology (MIIT) meeting was scheduled to take place in-person in Hamilton, Ontario, just like it has for well over a dozen years. Given the current situation we are all facing, my Co-Chair Dr. David Koff (@koff14) and I were faced with a choice: cancel or try to continue with an online version. As we believe strongly in the importance of imaging informatics education, and the value in this year’s excellent program, we chose the latter.
The first virtual MIIT will take place on Friday May 15, 2020. We have lowered attendee and sponsor rates in consideration of the lower costs of operating a virtual meeting.
We have a great program this year with Dr. Tessa Cook from UPenn, Dr. Vamsi Narra from BJC, Dr. Cree Gaskin from UVa, Les Folio from the NIH, Dr. Adam Prater from Emory, Michael Toland from UMMS, Ted Scott from HHSC, along with Kevin O’Donnell providing an update on the DICOM standard at MIIT 2020 and MIIT’s own Britt Tomlin providing an update on Alberta’s province-wide Connect Care CIS program.
Review the full program here.
At only CAD$80 per person (which, at the current exchange rate, is only US$57 for our American friends), and with accreditation for CE credits, it is very high value. There are no travel costs and imaging informatics professionals can join from anywhere in the world.
Register using the “Register Now” button at miit.ca.
Sponsorship of MIIT is still available, starting as CAD$1,000 (~US$715 with today’s exchange rate). Higher tier sponsors are given high visibility with attendees and the opportunity to give a brief talk during the lunch hour.
Be sure to stay top-of-mind among imaging IT decision makers and influencers (from anywhere now) to make up for lost contact at cancelled meetings, conferences, and trade shows!
More information is available here.
If you have any questions, email us at info@miit.ca.
How diagnostic images get from server hard drives to the screen is a topic of great interest to both industry and buyers of imaging IT solutions. Speed of image access is critical for quality of service and care, along with productivity and user satisfaction.
Different solutions take different approaches to optimize image delivery over varying networks. Many solutions combine more than one software design method to achieve the best possible performance. In many cases, industry or buyers will use jargon, like “streaming”, to apply a simple term to these sometimes complex technical methods.
In a recent article by AXIS Imaging, I describe four common techniques that are used in (and occasionally between) different imaging IT systems to maximize image display speed. The article length limit prevented coverage of additional methods and intentionally excluded IT infrastructure optimizations (for example, faster networks, CPUs, and drives) and the use of irreversible lossy image compression of the images on disk.
Although I followed up with the author about some transcription errors they made in preparing the article language, they were not corrected (at least at the time of posting this), so I am going to note some corrections here.
A lot of attention is paid to imaging IT systems, like PACS and VNAs, and EMRs these days, but Radiology Information Systems (RIS) play a very important role in the success of the Radiology service line within an enterprise.
The industry and market for RIS has changed a lot since their introduction, with two core markets (with different needs) evolving.
I recently wrote an article for HealthCare Business News, titled A tale of two kinds of RIS solutions, on the subject. The article is here.
AXIS Imaging recently interviewed me to get three tips on preparing for a Request for Proposal (RFP). The article is here. Enjoy!
There are obviously a lot more recommended practices when doing an RFP, but these three are always good to consider. I tried to provide guidance that applies to both IT and equipment purchases.
In less than two weeks, the SIIM Annual Meeting will be taking place at the newly opened Gaylord Rockies Resort in Aurora, Colorado. I am looking forward to catching up with old friends and meeting new ones, along with learning lots of new information.
This year, I am (co-)chairing three sessions and participating in a fourth. Here is a summary (my role). All times are in local MT.
If it is your first annual meeting, I recommend you go to the First Time Attendee Meet-up on Tue 25-Jun at 6:15 pm in the Adams C/D Lobby room and attend the New Member Orientation: Intro to SIIM session on Wed 26-Jun at 9:45 am. Jim and Rick are great educators and mentors.
Also, be sure to check out the pre-conference sessions, the Hackathon and Innovation Challenge events, as well as the #AskIndustry, Learning Lab, and Scientific sessions. And be sure to put the SIIM 2019 Reception on your calendar. It is great to connect with peers and review the scientific posters.
While you are on-site, don’t forget to share information and activities (and selfies!) using the SIIM Twitter handle @SIIM_Tweets (remember to follow SIIM for great info on imaging informatics throughout the year!) and the official 2019 Annual Meeting hashtag: #SIIM19.
I hope to see you there!
Don K Dennison 