JUNEAU – As SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) strives to enhance the quality of care for its patients and improve the patient experience; the organization has been keen on adopting technology that will help achieve those goals.
One of the most recent innovative technological upgrades within the Consortium is the integration of the Nuance PowerShare™ Network. This technology provides SEARHC with the ability to securely share radiology images (x-rays) electronically with medical providers outside of SEARHC and the Tribal Health System. It allows sharing with physicians outside the state of Alaska as well.
The ability for electronic sharing of x-rays improves the quality of care for patients by allowing continuity of care between medical providers regardless of their proximity to Southeast Alaska. Mail, even express delivery options, can be unreliable even in optimal conditions, causing consultations and the implementation of treatment plans to be delayed. Moving images and data electronically assures timely interaction between medical providers. It also reduces potential harm to patients by eliminating repeat x-rays, therefore preventing excess exposure to radiation.
Electronic access to radiology images also markedly improves the patient experience. For example, SEARHC can now provide patients with access to medical images taken at any SEARHC location and also enable patients to easily share their medical images from other facilities with SEARHC providers. No longer will a patient be required to physically transfer a CD, DVD or thumb drive from one provider to another. Moving forward, this can all be done electronically.
SEARHC continually seeks opportunities and tools that elevate the quality of healthcare its patients receive. The organization is proud to have added PowerShare™ our radiology department’s toolbox.