Medical images play an important role in a doctor's ability to diagnose a patient's condition. However, when the same imaging tests are repeated multiple times for the same patient, they add a significant amount of unnecessary cost. For this reason, divisions of the National Institutes of Health are planning to develop a system that would facilitate the electronic exchange of these images.
The system would operate similar to health information exchange networks that are currently being developed for the transfer of electronic health records. Some experts have suggested that requirements for this type of information exchange be included under future stages of meaningful use.
Currently, patients have no continuity of care when it comes to medical images. This lowers quality while increasing costs, according to an announcement for the project on the Federal Business Opportunities website.
"Sharing image data through a network for image exchange will lead to better informed medical decisions, better analysis of medical outcomes, reductions in unnecessary expenses and improvements in the quality and safety of patient care," the announcement states.
When used in conjunction with electronic health records systems, the transfer of electronic medical images could greatly improve care.