Imaging Centers
References
How SimonMed Imaging uses iQ-MIGRATION
SimonMed Imaging is one of the largest outpatient medical imaging providers in the United States. A team of over 200 radiologists operates across 11 states with around 160 accredited facilities offering affordable diagnostic imaging services to the community.
Seeking to expand their radiology practice network, SimonMed Imaging continuously acquires new practice locations. As a result, a large amount of DICOM data needs to be migrated from legacy PACS systems to their own. This can be a difficult and expensive integration job and not all vendors of the source systems are willing to help in the process.
Wondering how a possible data migration solution could look like, SimonMed Imaging approached IMAGE Information Systems.
Easy PACS data migrations with iQ-MIGRATION
iQ-MIGRATION is IMAGE’s answer to this challenge. This solution can migrate DICOM data from virtually any PACS, regardless of vendor, content or size. It handles DICOM data migrations fully automatically and runs conveniently on a workstation or server in the background.
One of the big advantages of iQ-MIGRATION is that data migrations can be specified and scheduled according to the needs of the medical facility, including the possibility to start, pause or restart the process as desired. A common scenario is, for example, to transfer the most current data first (e.g. from the last 6 months) in order to be able to work for the time being. Afterwards, older data can be migrated step by step, as the whole migration process can take several months.
SimonMed Imaging chose a permanent license of the iQ-MIGRATION software in order to be well-prepared for all PACS data migrations to come.
Michael Nguyen, Director of Imaging at SimonMed, is pleased with their new data migration solution and recommends the software as follows:
“The iQ-MIGRATION tool is an excellent choice for any organization looking to add in-house expertise for DICOM migrations. iQ-MIGRATION removes the complexity and the high cost of DICOM migrations and is ready to use right out of the box. The software setup was quick, effortless and the user-friendly interface allows you to see the real-time status of migrations as well as detailed logging for any issues during the migration process. SimonMed Imaging uses iQ-MIGRATION to easily migrate terabytes of DICOM image data from our acquisitions. The cost savings from using iQ-MIGRATION allows us to invest in other areas of our business to improve patient care. We look forward to using iQ-MIGRATION for years to come as we expand our footprint across the United States.”
A big player on the road to digitization – IDIME, Colombia
IDIME is the largest diagnostic imaging provider in Colombia and one of the largest in Latin America. They perform around 2 million imaging procedures per year at currently over 70 locations nationwide. What once started in 1989 with an office in Bogotá to provide tomography and magnetic resonance services for a polyclinic center has now become an indispensable player in the Colombian healthcare landscape.
To keep on extending their services and growing their business, IDIME has decided to future-proof their PACS infrastructure and – given the nearly twenty-year relationship and successful collaboration – approached IMAGE for help with this project.
Step by step towards digitization
In radiology, the communication with referring physicians is of utmost importance and should work flawlessly, as they are the customers of diagnostic imaging providers. With this in mind, IDIME had started their cooperation with IMAGE by purchasing the first picture archiving and communication system back in 2003. The initial iQ-SYSTEM PACS system was mainly used for digital reading of around 50 studies a day and for paper printing in addition to film. Later, IDIME stopped using film altogether.
In 2010, IDIME started to share data via CD/DVD in addition to paper, and ten years later, in 2020, implemented IMAGE’s digital PACS portal, iQ-WEB PORTAL, for data sharing in addition to CD/DVD. According to Mike Spielberger, Chief of Radiology Informatics at IDIME, the plan is to become fully digital in the future and to communicate digitally with all the stakeholders – patients, doctors and healthcare insurances alike.
IMAGE’s iQ-WEB PORTAL with its WADO option (Web Access to DICOM Objects) is an important step in this direction. All patients receive a user name and password to log in to their diagnostic results from the laboratory and the radiology department. They can view, download and print information as well as view their images in diagnostic quality. “A big and important step on the digitalization pathway”, affirms Mike Spielberger.
Since January 2021, the digital realignment of the company is an essential item on IDIME’s agenda. The existing PACS software needed to be upgraded as they were facing an increasing number of PACS challenges due to the outdated medical IT as well as the higher study workload coming from a growing number of locations.
PACS challenges included:
- Lack of upgrades to various devices over many years
- Complexities of data traffic
- Difficulties with the used compression formats
- Security issues due to the age of the equipment
An up-to-date PACS infrastructure, please!
To overcome the current PACS issues, IMAGE was chosen to upgrade and expand IDIME’s PACS network. Under the contract, IDIME’s 105 iQ-VIEW workstations will be updated, and 11 new iQ-WEB PACS servers will be added to their already established network of 19 iQ-WEB servers, all of which support 65 imaging facilities across Colombia.
The project goals to be achieved are:
- Replace old servers and update files
- Speed up the workflow
- Stabilize the entire connected system
- Store and provide studies for more than 6 months
- Ensure security for the company and users
In the future, IDIME will have a fully integrated solution where doctors can order healthcare services and medical data is shared electronically with insurances and patients.
Update of the workstations and installation of the new servers will provide a faster and more stable workflow, including faster integration with IDIME’s homegrown RIS ATHENEA and faster opening of studies by use of the enhanced DICOM format. Additional functionality, such as the patient portal, will provide quick and easy communications between physicians, patients and health insurance providers.
Conducted remotely, installation of the new servers will take place immediately, with software updates to the workstations taking place over the next two years with no disruption in service expected.
Workflow 2003 vs. 2022
IDIME workflow in 2003
IDIME workflow in 2022
Radiologisches Zentrum am Kaufhof, Luebeck, Germany
RIS/PACS integration, please!
When the imaging center first approached IMAGE Information Systems in December 2020, they were looking for a reliable PACS solution to be integrated into their local GE Centricity RIS system. So far they had used OsiriX freeware for this purpose, but were tired of accessing their RIS and PACS systems separately and rather preferred a stable and integrated RIS/PACS solution. Besides this, the imaging center was trying to achieve more web-based customer interaction, such as sharing medical images via QR code or receiving previous studies via the internet.
After several onsite meetings between IMAGE, the radiologists and the center’s local IT provider, a solution had been found for the situation. The iQ-WEB PACS was installed in July 2021 together with two iQ-VIEW PRO diagnostic viewing stations for onsite reading. The legacy PACS data (around 96 TB) was migrated from the OsiriX servers to iQ-WEB and the new PACS was successfully integrated with the local RIS.
In a second step, IMAGE implemented a web portal solution in order to achieve an easier and faster communication with referring physicians and patients. This way, medical images and reports can be shared and accessed in full diagnostic quality via QR code or direct login.
Anything else? Yes, please!
What started out as a relatively small integration project, became bigger than expected as the implementation work moved forward. Further ideas came up on how to improve the workflow even more. For example, to not just be able to open studies in the RIS but also the respective reports, the iQ-WEBX REPORT CONVERTER was added to the solution. This iQ-WEB add-on allows that DICOM Structured Reports and HL7 text reports can be converted and transmitted between the RIS and the PACS system.
Another idea was to make the uploading procedure for prior patient studies a lot easier by using the iQ-WEB UPLOADER where patients and referring physicians can conveniently upload the DICOM data through an easy-to-use website. And finally, a radiation dose management solution was needed due to the new dose regulations that had taken effect in the meantime. Of course, also this was something IMAGE could provide.
According to the feedback IMAGE received from the customer, the radiologists loved their new DICOM viewer iQ-VIEW PRO from day one. Only little training was needed to start working with it and everybody was especially happy about the integration of the PACS viewer into the RIS. Now, radiologists can easily open their medical imaging studies directly from the RIS which saves them about 50-100 mouse clicks per day. By means of the freshly implemented web portal for referring physicians and patients, the imaging center is now able to offer better services to their customers which represents an advantage in this competitive market. Last but not least, the integrated dose management solution iQ-DOSE ensures the imaging center’s compliance with EU dose regulations.
Project configuration:
- iQ-WEB 20 – PACS for 20 AE titles
- iQ-4VIEW 20 – Diagnostic zero-footprint viewer for 20 concurrent users
- iQ-WEB UPLOADER – Upload portal for medical images or relevant photos and documents
- iQ-WEBX REPORT CONVERTER – Consistent medical reports in all systems
- iQ-WEBX WADO – Image access from any information system
- iQ-VIEW PRO x 2 – Diagnostic viewing station
- iQ-DOSE PRO 10 – Efficient dose management
- iQ-MIGRATION – Easy PACS data migration
NEURORAD.CH – Cloud-based PACS in Zurich, Switzerland
Prof. Stephan Ulmer from Zurich is a neuroradiologist. He started “neurorad.ch” with the intention to break the boundaries of local imaging and to offer high quality neuroradiology reading for imaging centers not only in Switzerland but internationally.
His solution? He uses iQ-4CLOUD in a full virtual environment.
“First of all, what I like about iQ-4CLOUD is that I don’t have to worry about a PACS and different viewers at any site I’m working at nor an IT to take care of the data transfer and of maintenance. iQ-4CLOUD is fast and reliably working. Using the iQ-WEB based solution, I can either access my data at my workstation in the office or when being away on business or in meetings anywhere in the world. Also, all of my clinical colleagues have access to their patients’ images and so we can discuss cases anytime and anywhere. I call it “Radiological boards and home office expanded”.
Prof. Ulmer is also one of the world’s first users of iQ-WEB UPLOADER. Through web-based transfer, he receives studies for remote neuroradiology specialty reading. Imaging centers, physicians, hospitals and even patients not enrolled in his iQ-4CLOUD network can easily upload imaging studies of any size without the need of a local client installation.
“iQ-WEB UPLOADER is a very reliable tool that enables anyone to send me images. Some countries have (expensive) local solutions, but international data transfer remains a problem. Today there is no need for risky transfer of CDs by mail anymore. Again, a reliable end-to-end encryption guarantees secure data transfer. Now, my clinical colleagues and I can discuss cases and images of patients coming from abroad prior to them coming in again for further treatment either in their home country or abroad. There are no more restrictions.”