DICOM Grid releases ImageCare scalable cloud computing platform for medical imaging management

DICOM Grid, provider of a cloud-based platform for medical imaging management, today announced the general availability of DICOM Grid™ ImageCare™, the first secure, scalable cloud computing platform that makes searching, sharing and exchanging medical images as easy as using consumer web applications such as Google, Facebook and iTunes. ImageCare delivers an advanced, web-based application that provides seamless image sharing along with long-term archiving at disruptive pricing. Authorized physicians, hospitals and imaging facilities can now collaborate and act on medical imaging data in real time or whenever it's convenient from any location.

“By using DICOM Grid's ImageCare solution, two of our hospitals have been able to cost-effectively achieve mandatory regulatory compliance with the added benefit of business continuity in the event of planned or unplanned PACS downtime”

Currently, imaging studies are stored in expensive proprietary data silos and the most common form of data sharing is to hand-deliver or mail CDs, which can create security breaches. Making matters worse, physicians and healthcare facilities ─ including trauma centers ─ often can't read the CDs, causing potentially life-threatening treatment delays and costly, possibly harmful, redundant imaging. With ImageCare, exchanging images between any legacy systems is as easy as downloading music from iTunes.

"In today's connected world, we expect instant, convenient communication. Why should healthcare be an exception, when the inability to quickly obtain vital medical images and information can have life-threatening consequences?" asks DICOM Grid CEO Mike Wall. "We solve this situation with an inexpensive, easy-to-deploy solution. ImageCare allows authorized physicians to store, search and access medical imaging data that has been uploaded onto the DICOM Grid and collaborate in real time with colleagues anywhere in the world."

Using DICOM Grid's patented Split-Merge™ technology, ImageCare's unique functionality incorporates state-of-the-art security and privacy that allows physicians to safely access imaging data over any Internet connection. This level of security combined with the accessibility and affordability of the cloud-based platform allows physicians, hospitals and patients to "bring the archive alive" by enabling immediate access to all of a patient's imaging data regardless of where or when studies were generated.

DICOM Grid's ImageCare platform was beta tested at hospitals, imaging centers and physician practices where it received high marks from physicians and other clinicians, CIOs, CTOs and PACS administrators, including feedback from Scott Whyte, Senior Director of Physician and Ambulatory Care IT Strategy at Catholic Healthcare West. "By using DICOM Grid's ImageCare solution, two of our hospitals have been able to cost-effectively achieve mandatory regulatory compliance with the added benefit of business continuity in the event of planned or unplanned PACS downtime," Whyte stated.

The ImageCare platform exceeds regulatory requirements for offsite archival, disaster recovery, business continuity and PACS (picture archiving and communications system) migration.

Federal and state regulations can mandate that an imaging facility or hospital maintain copies of imaging studies for the life of a patient plus five year. This can force a medium-sized hospital to store huge quantities of imaging data that rival the volume of data available through Google Earth. ImageCare allows a facility to eliminate their expensive legacy archival systems while providing enhanced imaging data access and broad new functionality.