The U.S. healthcare system wastefully spends $10–15 billion each year on redundant radiological exams that stem from a provider's lack of access to patients' prior imaging exams. Though most diagnostic exams are already available in standard electronic formats, a void exists in the sharing of existing imaging data. By filling that void, the healthcare system can save billions of dollars, eliminate needless exposure to patient radiation, and significantly reduce medical errors.
The Stimulus package provides for incentives to use HIT to do just that. Existing reimbursement incentives for physicians to e-prescribe are producing favorable results. lifeIMAGE contends that in the coming months, similar incentives will lead imaging service providers to routinely publish electronically accessible imaging information.
Banking on the Future
Before long, patients in the U.S. will choose to trust their health records to one or more health record aggregators in much the same way that they currently manage their money online in banks. Accessing and exchanging health records will be modeled after some current banking methods including PINs, routing numbers, wiring instructions, and deposit or withdrawal transactions. In this model, a number of major and specialty aggregators will service the market.
Much remains to be done in extracting and organizing quality data from the originating systems and information silos within the walls of hospitals and other healthcare settings. lifeIMAGE can provide a highly specialized and valuable service by focusing on the imaging component of the medical record.