October 17, 2017 — The new Agfa HealthCare movie "Enterprise Imaging crosses the tipping point" takes viewers on a journey around the world to visit hospitals that have adopted enterprise imaging. Through real customer cases and third-party studies, it demonstrates the impact of moving from departmental image management systems to enterprise-wide solutions.
According to Malcolm Gladwell, the tipping point is that moment of critical mass, when an idea or trend crosses a threshold and suddenly spreads like wildfire. Agfa HealthCare's movie is intended to show how the healthcare industry is now reaching one such tipping point, with more and more hospitals around the world adopting an enterprise imaging approach.
An interview with Kim Garriott, principal consultant from Logicalis Healthcare Solutions, highlights the role enterprise imaging can play in helping healthcare enterprises achieve value-based care. Garriott discusses the misconception that enterprise imaging is only about moving the storage of patient images from the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) to the vendor neutral archive (VNA). She also provides insight into the problems within the radiology workflow approach, and how the need for consistency, shareability and regulatory compliance is influencing the management of images from "non-imaging" disciplines.
Among the real-life stories covered is that of cancer patient Patrick McArdle, from County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland, whose treatment experience was completely changed by a cross-border agreement between the Saolta University Health Care Group in the Republic of Ireland and Altnagelvin Hospital, in Northern Ireland (UK). The program, supported by Agfa HealthCare's Integrated Care Suite, enables patients like Patrick to receive radiotherapy and follow-up at a facility that is much closer to home, even though it is across the border.
The financial ramifications of a major information technology (IT) investment such as Enterprise Imaging are significant. The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Europe has published a study with qualitative and quantitative assesments based on the real experiences of large acute care hospitals. The study reveals how many hospitals have been able to improve their delivery of quality care while realizing financial savings in many areas, making a real difference for their patients and staff.
The film includes an interview with Nadim Daher, who authored Frost & Sullivan's white paper, "Health Imaging - Vision for 2027." The report lays out how management, distribution, access and integration of imaging data will evolve from "information islands to an interoperable ecosystem", and from a silo approach to an integrated platform. In the interview, Nadim dives into the market trends and evolution of imaging, addressing cloud solutions, financial aspects, and artificial intelligence/deep learning.
Agfa will show the movie in its booth at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA 2017), Nov. 26-Dec. 1 in Chicago. It can also be downloaded here.
For more information: www.agfahealthcare.com
May 21, 2025 
