New tool to view non-Houston Methodist images.
Real-time imaging leads to better decision-making and easier referrals. This improves the way we view non-Houston Methodist images from referring physicians and patients. It also works equally well on PC and Mac. And it meets image retention regulatory requirements.
“I’ve been cheerleading for it and getting other people interested in it,” said Houston Methodist Hospital neurosurgeon Dr. Todd Trask.
This is how easy the new tool makes it for physicians. “It’s like emailing a photo,” he said.
Standardized tool replaces varied, unreliable processes.
Patients and referring physicians provide images that Houston Methodist physicians use to diagnose and treat patients. Often, patients bring a CD from their doctor when they come for their appointment here.
“That worked most of the time, which sounds good, I guess,” Dr. Trask said. “Except that means a good part of the time, it didn’t work.”
We don’t have that problem anymore.
“You’ve got a patient who’s traveled 200 miles to see you. They brought you a disk,” he said.
And sometimes physicians had to tell patients they couldn’t upload the disk for any number of reasons. This happened with some regularity.
“The fact that we don’t have that problem anymore makes the doctors happy, makes the patients happy. Makes everyone happy,” Dr. Trask said.
It’s in the cloud.
It takes a minute or two to upload even large images. Physicians now can return the disk to the patient, knowing the images are safely in the cloud. And available anywhere.
“If we’re operating on a patient now, I can walk over to the operating room without carrying any disk or films, and the study will be there,” Dr. Trask said.
“If there’s an associate of mine who’s going to start the operation, and I’m stuck here for a little while, I can send those X-rays to him or her, and they can see them without having to come here and get them. That is very valuable,” he said.
It makes neurosurgery run more smoothly. Better for doctors. Better for patients.
