Imaging is no longer only the concern of a healthcare facility's radiology department — it is also a priority for healthcare leadership, particularly healthcare CIOs, according a College of Healthcare Information Management Executives survey, commissioned by lifeIMAGE. However, interoperability remains a challenge to enterprise imaging strategies.
The survey polled 100 CHIME members, representing a number of facilities, including hospital/acute care organizations, medical groups and long term/extended care organizations.
Here are six key findings from the survey:
1. Eighty-six percent of CIOs reported that IT oversees enterprise imaging either exclusively or as a shared initiative with radiology departments.
2. More than 58 percent of facilities have implemented an enterprise imaging strategy to help manage, store and exchange medical image data.
3. More than 50 percent of CIOs reported that inefficient imaging practices could lead to delays in diagnosis and care, unnecessarily repetition of studies and patients possibly going elsewhere for care.
4. More than half of the CIO's say their organizations cannot move imaging data between systems and applications.
5. Additionally, 46 percent said the biggest challenge is integrating imaging technology systems with an EHR.
6. One-third of those surveyed reported their facility might be losing revenue because of image data interoperability challenges.