Northwest ImageShare provides better patient care, shorter wait times in emergency departments

Dec 2 2013

Northwest ImageShare, now installed and running at 42 locations throughout the Kitsap Peninsula, is fulfilling its initial goals of better patient care and shorter wait-times spent in the emergency department. The program is designed on a cloud-based regional PACS from international medical imaging IT company, Sectra  (STO: SECT B), managed by Harrison Medical Center, and run in collaboration with Advanced Medical Imaging, The Doctors Clinic, Olympic Radiology, and Harrison HealthPartners.

Northwest ImageShare enables improved physician access to medical images throughout the Kitsap County region, resulting in more immediate and higher-quality care for patients.  The program ensures that physicians can view images from any of the participating groups on any workstation, regardless of where the patient was imaged. Physicians have the same desktop and web client access from anywhere, even on iPads and other mobile devices.

From an emergency care standpoint, saving money and providing physicians with previous imaging histories has shown a reduction in duplicative imaging and radiation dose to the patients.  Adar Palis, COO of Harrison Medical Center notes, "The feedback from physicians has been very positive. There's definite consensus here."

Northwest ImageShare is looking to continue to grow in terms of providers. They seek to add mass, urging additional organizations within the Kitsap Peninsula and others toward Seattle to be a part of the image share.  Palis adds, "I think this can grow to as many providers as we need in this community. Once we have our entire community covered, then we will talk to some of the bigger providers and beyond that, on a state level."