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Due to the size of DICOM files, viewing medical images remotely can be difficult. In addition to the bulky file size, you must also be careful to keep your patient's e-PHI secure. Complexities aside, it is important for many modern practices to be able to access medical images remotely to avoid delaying appointments, procedures, or treatments. There are many options out there, but understanding the benefits and disadvantages is an important step in deciding which remote viewing method is best for you.

For years, medical practices have been distributing patient records back and forth via email. So you may ask yourself, “if it's not broke, why fix it?” Well... it actually is broken. Apart from being an inefficient way to distribute large files, refusing to invest in a secure platform to send and receive sensitive data can cost your practice more than money.

Many healthcare institutions we work with have a goal of not only improving medical outcomes but also reaching more patients. If these are some of your priorities, you likely have explored formalizing a second opinion program to make it easier for patients to seek out your expertise. No matter where you are in the search for a program to expand your footprint, a valuable step would be to understand how you can launch a successful second opinion program. So, where should you start?

While on-premises PACS continue to predominate many large institutions, more and more practices are considering a cloud alternative as their current PACS nears the end of its useful life. Typically, an on-premises PACS has a maximum useful life of somewhere in the range of five to ten years. If your PACS is older than 5 years, you may need to begin considering your budget for a new PACS. When you do, you might consider a cloud-based PACS as a potential replacement.