Anytime you see a patient that has medical imaging taken, you have to provide them copies of their information. If you don’t, then they won’t have an easy way to share that information with specialists regarding their condition. Besides, if you don’t provide them with a copy of their imaging, the responsibility is fully yours to send the imaging where it is needed. So, while we can agree that giving patients ownership with their medical imaging generally makes everyone content, is there a better and cheaper option other than burning CDs and DVDs?
The Money Pit
CDs and DVDs are a money pit. You have to consider the following costs:
- The cost of the CD publisher.
- The cost of repairs and maintenance.
- The cost of purchasing blank media.
- The cost of office supplies associated with the production.
- The cost of postage… and don’t forget to add on more if it is overnight or expedited mail.
- The cost of valuable employee time and wages/salaries you are investing in this venture.
When we sat down with one of our Imaging Center clients and discussed the costs that go into tangible methods of sharing medical imaging - like CDs and DVDs, the response was surprising (even to us). Imaging centers that have transitioned to green sharing via a patient portal save enough in costs that they are able to hire multiple full-time employees. That’s a lot of money! But there’s more. So much that it’s far too much to put into this blog, so check out our webinar that includes the exclusive interview.
Patient Portals Save Money and Time
Patient Portals have been around for quite some time now, as have Cloud based solutions. With a Patient Portal, your patient can probably already go in to make appointments, request prescription refills, and send messages. The next time you talk to your vendor or administrator, ask them about sharing medical images via the Patient Portal. Chances are that your provider has such a solution that can easily be implemented.
The biggest difference between tangible sharing and Patient Portal sharing of images (aside money) is compliance. Your parcels can get lost in the mail, they can get damaged, and they can be delivered to the wrong recipient. These scenarios result in compliance violations and more money put in to re-deliver the package. With a Patient Portal, you are using a FDA and HIPAA approved platform where you can share images with patients, and they can then share those images with their specialist of choice. So, once you click the share button on your device to share images with your patient, never worry about time or costs going into putting together a package for your mail service to pick up...and start thinking about what you will do with all that extra money you are saving.
Final Thought
Make your medical practice, whether you are a referring physician or imaging center, more efficient by exploring alternatives to sharing medical images with patients. Don’t rely on CDs and DVDs. They take up valuable staff time and costs. In fact, by making the transition to a Patient Portal, you can save up enough to hire more employees and take in more patients. Still unsure? Listen in on our exclusive interview with an Imaging Center executive and make the choice for yourself.
