Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM), the information management company, will hold a Web seminar May 18 for hospitals considering a central archive for MRIs, X-rays, CT scans and other patient data that is spread across separate technology systems.
The buzz surrounding centralized image-management platforms, or vendor neutral archives (VNAs), is growing, but the hype is also causing confusion over what these systems should offer. A VNA centralizes the storage and management of medical images from a healthcare organization's various picture archiving and communications systems (PACS). But many VNAs are not truly neutral in their ability to link systems made by different companies; rather, they serve only as extensions to a single PACS archive, making it harder for caregivers to access and share information. A VNA should be able to manage medical images wherever they reside, on-premises or remotely in the cloud. This capability ensures better business continuity and greater control over the long-term preservation of medical images.
The Web seminar, hosted by Healthcare IT News, will feature the "PACSman," Michael J. Cannavo, president of Image Management Consultants, and Ken Rubin, general manager of Healthcare Services for Iron Mountain.
WHAT: Titled Vendor Neutral Archives: Separating Fact from Fiction and Cutting through the Hype, this Web seminar will help attendees:
- Distinguish a true VNA from claims of neutrality;
- Determine the differences between an enterprise archive, a DICOM archive and a vendor neutral archive;
- Identify if they would benefit from a vendor neutral archive;
- Understand why it is difficult for image storage to be truly 'vendor neutral';
- Develop strategies for centralizing images using cloud storage.
WHEN: May 18, 2010, 2 p.m. ET
ACCESS: www.ironmountain.com/vnafacts
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