Service Expansion for MedTechs & Where Jack Imaging Fits

Recently L.E.K. Consulting released an Executive Insights article titled, "Beyond the Product: Service Expansion Opportunities for MedTechs."  In the article, L.E.K. detailed that hospital systems are increasingly looking into external sources to overcome various challenges as opposed to hiring or training internally. Challenges mentioned can include achieving more advanced IT systems, better workflow efficiency, fewer hospital-acquired infections, and reduced readmissions.

To address these resources that hospitals may look into, L.E.K. has developed a framework to expand upon the relevant services offered. This framework includes four broad categories: Product related, Operations efficiency, Clinical care delivery, and Hospital strategy. 

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Jack Imaging is a powerhouse in that in falls within two categories, Operations efficiency and Clinical care delivery. Firstly, with its set of patient management tools, Jack Imaging is able to streamline workflow and thereby increase operational efficiency. For example, managing a patient's condition is simplified with the case management feature. Since doctors, caregivers, and patients can all access a shared case, retrieving and exchanging relevant medical images and documents is simplified. 

Furthermore, Jack Imaging can improve clinical care delivery with its telehealth features. Besides the convenient sharing of medical images, Jack Imaging also provides secure video conferencing and messaging between relevant parties. Say a patient needs to receive a second opinion consultation-- she can simply share her case with her doctor of choice. After the doctor has reviewed all of her images and reports saved within the case, the patient and doctor can hold a video conference, to discuss the doctor's findings and suggestions. 

Video conferencing with screen sharing and real-time annotation capabilities is depicted. 

When asked whether hospitals would be interested in additional services from external MedTech companies, 60% of C-level respondents were in favor. As hospitals work towards increased technological innovation and improved efficiency, Jack Imaging can help with its full suite of multi-specialty care solutions. 

To stay up to date with Jack Imaging, follow us on Twitter.

What's going on in healthcare right now?

We have curated a list of some of the most interesting and thought-provoking pieces in recent healthcare news.

Medical Imaging: 

Advances in medical imaging allow the scan to fit the patient

Advanced medical imaging is helping to drive the “precision” medicine movement, leading to enhanced diagnosis, informed treatment options, and targeted treatments.

Mayo Clinic algorithm reduces CT use for appendicitis

According to Reuters Health,  Mayo Clinic researchers have created an algorithm that can help appendicitis diagnosis in children and reduce CT usage. 

Health IT: 

6 ways big data can lower costs

A study published in the July issue of Health Affairs highlights how big data analytics is driving cost reduction including reducing preventable readmissions, effective triage, and more. 

Online appointments gain favor as ED wait times soar

ED visits have increased with ACA implementation. To ease wait times and reduce crowding, more and more hospitals are allowing patients to book appointments online. Learn how Jack Imaging can aid the ED here.

Digital Health: 

Telemedicine gains ground in treatment of injured workers

Telemedicine is increasing in popularity for treatment of injured workers to expedite their evaluation and even reduce expenses employers pay. Learn our telemedicine functionalities here. 

Survey: 75 percent of patients want digital health services 

Based on a McKinsey survey of thousands of patients in Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, over 75 percent of those surveyed are in favor of digital health service implementation. Learn about apps for caregivers and managing your condition.

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To get more updates from Jack Imaging, follow our twitter. 

Guest Post: How Jack Imaging helps me manage my condition

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Today we share a guest post from one of our users, Sarah*. Sarah shares her experience with idiopathic condylar resorption and how Jack Imaging has helped her manage her condition. Read Sarah’s story below:

In the summer of 2012, an ordinary consultation to get my wisdom teeth removed led to a startling discovery.

“Do you know that you have idiopathic condylar resorption? Only your back molars touch,” stated the dental surgeon.

I replied, “No... I just thought food was extra tough to chew.”

And with this, my journey with idiopathic condylar resorption began. Idiopathic condylar resorption (ICR) is defined by the Baylor University Medical Center as, “ a specific condition that affects the jaw joints (temporomandibular joints or TMJs) and most commonly occurs in teenage girls.” Because this doctor was specialized in wisdom teeth removal, I sought a second opinion and even a third. Both maxillofacial surgeons I saw informed me that surgery would be required lest with old age, I would deal with joint issues.

Before the preliminary steps to such a surgery can even be taken, it must be determined that the disease has been in remission for at least twelve months. Since there is no definitive way to determine whether or not resorption has ended, the area is observed biannually to see if there is any measurable change. As a result, every six months since my diagnosis, I have had X-rays taken of my jaw and the occlusal gap (overbite) is measured.

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Because of the need for constant monitoring of the disease, I have amassed numerous X-rays and other medical records in order to build a comprehensive portfolio of my condition. Previously, I would have to retrieve all these X-rays prior to each doctor’s visit, which became an increasingly tedious process as I amassed more medical images. With Jack Imaging, I am able to organize all of these medical images and monitor the progress of my condition chronologically. It has been two years since my diagnosis and I will soon begin the preparatory steps for my surgery. When the time comes to coordinate with an orthodontist for my pre-surgery preparation, I will be able to easily share my X-rays with him/her via Jack Imaging rather than bringing in my assorted medical image discs. After the surgery, I must continue to monitor the jaw joints via X-ray for about a year to ensure that the surgery was a success.

Rather than sending in a request to retrieve my medical images for viewing, I am now able to monitor my condition on my laptop using this online platform. I feel empowered knowing that I can keep track of my health from my own home. 

*name has been changed for privacy

Jack Imaging How-To-Guide

Brief tutorial on how to use Jack Imaging to manage your medical images. 

Learn how to: 

• view images directly from your imaging CD
• create an account
• upload images
• share images with family/providers

Interested? Request an invite 

Questions? Email: hello@jackimaging.com

Managing My Father's Cancer: A Caretaker's Story

My dad and I

I spent the last 3 years of my Dad’s life as his caregiver, as he battled metastasized bladder cancer.  As his caregiver, all I wanted to do was to make him better, to make him stronger, to give him the tools and knowledge that would lead him toward improved health.  I wanted him to focus on himself and focus on his future, while I focused on everything else.   

It was my first real experience with our nation’s health care system, and I had to make decisions about my Dad’s health while going 135 miles per hour.  What I found is what most people know in this situation: that so many things about today’s health care system are so agonizingly frustrating.  I’m sure I could start to make a list that highlights all my frustrations, and I’m sure as I am typing now, that I could still be writing this list by the end of tomorrow and not be anywhere near to being finished with it.  Near the top of my list, however, would be the very problem that Nephosity’s Jack Imaging is attempting to solve - medical image transfer and storage.  I don’t know how many times I called a doctor’s office on behalf of my Dad to request his medical images be put onto a CD for his referring doctor, only to learn that the process was stalled somewhere, or the CD didn’t arrive on time, or I was charged fees for expedited processing.  I really don’t want to count the number of times I did this because those are the times I spent away from my Dad.  

Years ago the CD was the latest and greatest technology - years ago the CD was better than the hard film copies that patients had to lug around to their doctor’s offices.  But today, technology has advanced beyond the CD, and it's time to keep up. I'm excited to see how cloud technology can bring efficiencies to transferring and storing medical images because, for someone else out there caring for their loved one, each efficiency we introduce means less time spent away from the person or people who matter most.

- Jessica


Visit JackImaging.com to find out how you can upload your own or your loved one's medical images for free.

12 Ways the iPad Is Changing Healthcare: Making Med School Easier, Helping Diagnose Alzheimer's, and Improving Patient Engagement

http://www.cio.com/slideshow/detail/78144#slide3

At the end of last year, CIO published a report on 12 ways the iPad is changing healthcare. In addition to replacing the clipboard, making home health initiatives easier and making medical software more accessible, CIO credited the iPad with enabling greater patient engagement - something that Nephosity is proud to have been working on from the start.

MobileCT

MobileCT, Nephosity's FDA-cleared medical image viewer for the iPad, engages patients in a few ways:
- medical images stored in Nephosity's secured cloud can be pulled up on the iPad and viewed side-by-side by patient and provider, allowing for real-time discussion of the patient's condition
- built-in annotation and cursor tools are used to point out specifics of a patient's images for deeper understanding of the patient's condition
- Nephosity's secured, cloud-based server allows patients to access their own images anywhere, anytime, allowing patients to share their images with family/friends or to request a second-opinion separate from their original provider

The iPad is changing healthcare, and Nephosity is honored to play a part.

Find out how Nephosity can help you handle your medical images today: http://nephosity.com