Using A Dicom Viewer For Web Teleradiology Can Save Money

Physicians, nurses, administrators and imaging specialists are making the switch to teleradiology using a dicom viewer as part of their system.

Teleradiology works in much the same way as sending an email message does: you create a message, then send it via the World Wide Web to your recipient, who will read it and respond in some way. Digital medical images can also be sent on secure transmission lines to doctors, medical facilities, specialists, consultants, or anyone else you grant authorization, where they will be viewed using a dicom reader, also known as a dicom viewer.

There are many cost advantages to going to digital imagery systems that utilize the dicom reader, because of the savings of money and time. If you have your medical practice in a rural setting, you know that hiring full-time specialists can be too cost prohibitive. Even bringing in consultants, specialists, and physicians for second opinions can require a heavy cash outlay for transportation and accommodation. Instead, you can save money and still have access to the finest specialists that you need by using a dicom viewer along with appropriate imaging software. A web dicom viewer and pacs software allows you to send your patient's medical digital images securely online to your consulting physician, who can look at the images on a dicom viewer, make a diagnosis and get the information back to you rapidly, at no extra cost to you or your facility. By using a dicom reader, you can consult with physicians anywhere in the world by using the access provided by the Internet, at a fraction of the cost required for bringing them to your medical office or hospital.

There are also cost advantages that come from using digital images and dicom viewers over traditional film images. You will not need to purchase film when you are using digital imaging devices. You will also save money on related imaging costs, such as the development chemicals that are hazardous to store and use, which are not used with a dicom viewer. Because time equals money in the medical field, you can save money by taking advantage of the speed-enhancing qualities inherent in dicom viewers. Because of the immediate nature of communicating online, you can have instant access to your digital images and diagnostic results right on your dicom reader. Compare that to paying staff to retrieve and file hard-copy images, as well as maintaining a storage area big enough for several thousand patient images for years, as mandated by HIPPA regulations. Digital images can be accessed anywhere there is an Internet connection by authorized personnel by using a web dicom viewer. This allows you to easily consult with other physicians anywhere in your office, across town or around the world. A web dicom viewer makes all of this flexibility and cost effectiveness possible.