Supporting medical imaging systems can be a formidable task. Complex environments, security risks, and workflow management are just some of the many factors that need to be taken into account when managing and supporting medical imaging systems. This is why it’s important to ensure that troubleshooting efforts are as focused and effective as possible to minimize the impact on patient care. As a handy guide, here are a few tips that can help minimize the impact of 3 common support issues:
1) Viewing Protocols
The goal of viewing protocols is to increase efficiency by eliminating the need for radiologists to perform manual reordering of series and images for diagnosis. A familiar issue, however, is the challenge of non-standardized viewing protocols. This is generally a result of dealing with modalities from different vendors and can impact Radiologist productivity. Investing the time to ensure that consistent series names and series sets are in-place can greatly help in achieving the efficiency goals that viewing protocols are intended to provide.
2) Forgotten Passwords
One of the most common support issues that lead to a significant loss in productivity is a forgotten password. With the ever-increasing security risks, almost all enterprise applications require some level of user authentication. These applications generally have their own set of password complexities and reset requirements, and a forgotten password is something that happens to the best of us. A simple yet very effective solution is ensuring your PACS solution has built-in functionality that allows users to reset their passwords in a secure and efficient manner. This goes a long way in limiting the loss of productivity and reducing redundant support calls.
3) Connectivity Issues
A well-managed and administered network infrastructure is essential to ensure that users have access to required medical imaging solutions at all times. Blocked ports, firewall exceptions, anti-virus configuration are items that can lead to accessibility and performance issues if not managed properly. Ensuring validated procedures and checklists are in-place greatly simplifies troubleshooting efforts when dealing with issues such as DICOM connectivity, setup deployment of client workstations and other related items.
Following the guidelines above will save you a significant amount of time when it comes to troubleshooting common issues in the radiology workplace. Ensuring that your staff is properly trained on how to resolve these issues will help them focus on the number one task at hand, which is of course, patient care.
