Medical image sharing

Medical image sharing is the electronic exchange of medical images between hospitals, physicians and patients. Rather than using traditional media, such as a CD or DVD, and either shipping it out or having patients carry it with them, technology now allows for the sharing of these images using the cloud. The primary format for images is DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine). Typically, non-image data such as reports may be attached in standard formats like PDF (Portable Document Format) during the sending process. Additionally, there are standards in the industry, such as IHE Cross Enterprise Document Sharing for Imaging (XDS-I), for managing the sharing of documents between healthcare enterprises. A typical architecture involved in setup is a locally installed server, which sits behind the firewall, allowing secure transmissions with outside facilities. In 2009, the Radiological Society of North America launched the "Image Share" project, with the goal of giving patients control of their imaging histories (reports and images) by allowing them to manage these records as they would online banking or shopping.
Health.
Medical Image Sharing contributes to many of the "Health" initiatives across the industry. Being able to instantly and electronically exchange medical information can improve communication between physicians, as well as with patients.
Architecture.
A typical architecture for a medical image sharing platform includes transmitting data from a system installed directly on the hospital network and behind the firewall, to and from an outside entity. Some of the standard architectural pieces involved include:
Integrations.
Image sharing platforms can integrate directly with many hospital systems, such as:
RSNA Image Share Project.
RSNA Image Share is a network created to enable radiologists to share medical images with patients using personal health record (PHR) accounts. This pilot project, funded by the National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (Nibib) and administered by RSNA, began enrolling patients in 2011.
Currently, there are five participating medical centers in the program - Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, UCSF Medical Center, University of Maryland Medical Center, University of Chicago Medical Center, and Mayo Clinic. Patients at these sites are able to receive and access their medical images electronically. As of January 2017, there were seven software companies who have completed the RSNA Image Share Validation, Agfa Healthcare, Ambra Health (formerly DICOM Grid), GE Healthcare, Lexmark Healthcare, LifeImage, Inc., Mach7 Technologies and Novarad.
There are three main architectural pieces to the project: