Agfa HealthCare has signed on as a pilot vendor for the Radiology Society of North America's (RSNA) Image Share Validation Program, a conformity assessment program that is designed to establish standards across image-sharing vendors and at healthcare organizations.
The goal of RSNA's Image Share Validation Program is to verify that medical imaging systems are compliant with international standards developed by DICOM and IHE (Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise) for sharing medical images and reports.
The program further strives to help enable clinicians and patients to access and control their health imaging records. It is a joint effort between RSNA and The Sequoia Project, which oversees a range of interoperability initiatives.
Upon completion of the validation, vendors obtain a validation mark, bestowed by experts in the imaging industry, which attests to the interoperability of their platforms, including Agfa HealthCare's Enterprise Imaging platform.
Enterprise Imaging consolidates imaging data from multiple service lines and provides secure access to a patient's medical images, in one view, accessible by clinicians wherever they practice.
Image Exchange through Agfa's Enterprise Imaging platform is empowered with the latest healthcare interoperability standards on a completely virtual infrastructure, providing integration flexibility and neutrality in the rapidly changing healthcare IT landscape.
"Pilot participation in RSNA's Image Sharing Validation Program is a powerful testament to our commitment to interoperability with Agfa HealthCare's Enterprise Imaging platform," says Lenny J. Reznik, IT Business Unit Vice President, Commercial Product Leader, North America. "Our image-sharing capabilities, among other valuable attributes of our Enterprise Imaging platform, make images a true organizational asset for our clients."
Image-sharing improves physician and patient communication and involves patients more actively in their healthcare. Interoperability of systems to enhance access to imaging records will help clinicians make better-informed decisions about patient care, increase efficiency in the clinical setting, and can lead to more efficient utilization of imaging systems by helping eliminate potential redundant or unnecessary imaging procedures.
The Sequoia Project is a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance the implementation of secure, interoperable nationwide health information exchange. Since 2012, the Exchange has grown to become the largest health information exchange network in the country.