For medical facilities using or implementing PACs, finding enough storage space to hold all the data they’ve acquired can be a real challenge. Some data storage problems can be solved with larger hard drives on their computer or with external storage devices like thumb drives or compact discs. With broadband bandwidth increasing each year, more and more facilities are moving their workloads to the cloud.
Cloud storage is a model of networked online storage where data is saved and stored on virtualized pools of storage which are generally hosted remotely by third parties. So instead of saving an ultrasound image to your computer’s hard drive or other local storage device, you save it to a remote database.
Cloud computing refers to the web-based software and technology that provide a platform and access to the remote data. The internet then becomes the bridge between your computer or device, and the database.
Benefits of the Cloud for Medical Imaging Storage and Sharing:
- Cheaper. Cloud services require lower upfront investment because all of the software development and programming has been done already.
- Improved access. Cloud storage is accessible from any device with internet access. This means technologists or physicians in the field using laptops or iPads can access the data they need from virtually anywhere.
- Instant backup. Before cloud storage, backing up important data would be an involved and time consuming process. With the cloud, backup is done automatically and usually in multiple locations at once, ensuring that data cannot be lost if one location is compromised or disaster hits.
- Faster file sharing. Saving ultrasound images onto a CD and mailing it to a physician or other facility can take days or even weeks. Uploading and sending data over the cloud allows for instant sharing.
- Increased collaboration. Faster file sharing and access to the data means better communication from the technologists, physicians and administrators.
Studycast® is the leader in SaaS diagnostic testing and medical imaging solutions. Studycast® uses the cloud for data storage and to allow technologists access and transmit ultrasound studies 24/7 from virtually anywhere. Traditional methods to transmit diagnostic studies could take up to an hour, while Studycast® studies can be transmitted in five minutes or less.
Learn more about how Studycast’s medical imaging solution can work for you. Schedule a Demo or call (919) 277-0636!
