The Challenge
Like all imaging education programs, the Oregon Institute of Technology faces challenges in making sure students and instructors have enough time with the ultrasound machines. Students need time to perform exams and time to review their work. Instructors need time to offer feedback and to grade the students’ exams. When everyone needs access to the machines for every step, how do you manage the bottleneck?
OIT administrators knew that a PACS solution could help, but finding one that was big on features without a big price tag wasn’t easy. They also knew that a local PACS would likely require a large initial investment and a lengthy budget approval process. A cloud PACS might be a better solution.
Their needs were clear. Whether cloud or local, the system must
- Be vendor neutral so it would work with all their ultrasound machines, even some older systems
- Offer flexibility in how and where studies could be viewed
- Allow for a large number of users so all instructors and students could use the system
- Deliver a full set of features within the program’s budget
- Provide a way for instructors to build a library of exams as teaching examples
- Give students exposure to a high-quality reporting solution to better prepare them for the clinical environment
The Solution
The Core Sound Imaging team knew they could deliver even more than OIT requested. The full package included
Studycast system with study-specific worksheets for a wide range of exam types
Full training for faculty and staff
A flexible workflow that could be used to improve the review and grading process
Unlimited user accounts so all instructors and students have access
Implementation Time: 8 days
The Results
Both students and faculty benefit from unlimited access to the Studycast system. Students can review the images they’ve acquired any time from any location. All they need is an Internet-connected device. When students submit assignments, the submission time is automatically logged. Instructors can then review the assignments from anywhere – on campus, from home, or even while sitting at their favorite coffee shop. When they finish, their reviews are sent to the students via email and are available for students to access online. In addition, saving exams as teaching examples is quick and easy.
The convenience and flexibility of the Studycast system gets high marks from the faculty. As Barry Canaday, Associate Professor and Echocardiography Program Director at OIT shared, “I can review student assignments at home. No need to drive back into the school in the evening to grade assignments.”
Because students and instructors no longer tie up the ultrasound machines to review exams, students get more hands-on time to develop their scanning skills. They also gain an understanding of how to utilize a leading-edge cloud-based PACS in the clinical environment.
Several years later, OIT faculty agree that the Studycast system has been more than a financial success; it has improved the quality of the education program.
