Providers want to deploy a scalable platform that can manage clinical and operational workflows, secure data, and aid in precision diagnoses, finds Frost & Sullivan

With digital health becoming mainstream, healthcare professionals have to manage an increasing amount of data from a range of devices in diverse care settings and populations. There is a distinct need to deliver medical imaging securely through the right channel with the right context at the right time to improve patient outcomes. Key industry trends, such as the consolidation of the provider industry, growing focus on value-based care, greater storage for structured and unstructured data, solutions to ensure optimal care at all times and the Covid-19 pandemic are compelling providers to revisit their IT roadmaps. These changes are prompting providers to optimise clinical analytics and AI and connecting different imaging specialties for a 360-degree view of their patients.

Frost & Sullivan’s latest thought leadership paper, ‘Perspectives on Digital Imaging to Improve Patient and Provider Outcomes’, analyses the shifting trends, best practices and challenges faced by healthcare providers in integrating imaging systems. It discusses the role of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s (HIMSS) Digital Imaging Adoption Model (DIAM) frameworks in helping providers improve performance and manage costs while still providing superior patient experiences. 

“An enterprise approach to digital imaging directly helps providers be more agile in responding to changes in the market and supports an informatics strategy that prepares them for the future,” explained Daniel Ruppar, Consulting Director – Healthcare & Life Sciences at Frost & Sullivan. “A key measure that aligns with the concept of the Quadruple Aim (better outcomes, lower costs, improved patient experience and improved provider experience) is to efficiently harness data for better patient care. Providers should be able to access and quickly share images throughout the enterprise as well as have a complete view of the patient for better collaboration, decision support and outcomes.”

To achieve optimal enterprise imaging organisational readiness, providers should take the following steps in their journey:

• Assess the various challenges their organisation is facing in its current digital and imaging IT strategy.
• Evaluate their current infrastructure and solution approach.
• Benchmark and align their current state to an established digital maturity model such as the HIMSS DIAM.
• Assess what strategy and partners are needed to help the organisation easily adopt digital imaging.
• Identify a vendor that can provide a scalable platform that can best manage clinical and operational workflow, ensure data security across and between care settings, and enable the right diagnosis the first time.

Further information

www.frost.com