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Many physicians and healthcare providers don’t charge their patients for a copy of their medical images because they fear their patients’ reaction. Ironically, providing “free” CDs to their patients is actually causing more harm than good. Patients we’ve spoken with would prefer paying a small fee for online access, which is actually valuable to them, rather than receiving the burden accompanied by that free CD. Take this story for example…

Hospitals waste thousands of dollars on inefficient patient imaging delivery by CDs. Why does this method prevail when hospitals could easily adopt a more efficient, less expensive, and even free, format that would better serve their patients?

Researchers at Yale University School of Medicine were left with the same question after evaluating patient imaging delivery in hospitals across the United States.

As a responsible physician, you may worry about the potential effects of giving your patients electronic access to their medical images. However, many of these fears aren’t justified by the facts. If you’re worried about the dangers of giving your patients access to their medical images, the following may help to put your mind at ease.

Let’s take a look at the risks and benefits of sharing medical images with patients:

Smartphones are modernizing the traditional medical imaging practice. Patients no longer leave their appointment carrying a CD, which will inevitably be lost or forgotten by the time they need it for their next appointment. Now, they simply login to their secure online portal and pull up their image whenever and wherever it's needed. For providers who are considering adopting this new method of imaging delivery, we have some thoughts for you.