Practice Management

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  • 1.  Home Workstations

    Posted 11-09-2020 11:34
    Hello RMBA Community!
    My group is trying to gather data on radiology home workstations, used for after hour reads and weekends. We are a small hospital base group with 6 radiologist. We were able to get workstations set up for most at home a few years ago. Our group bought all hardware. The facility helped install the equipment, managed the VPN and any IT issues that arose. Since this time the facility has changed EMR's along with IT personal. We are struggling with getting any help from them on installing new workstations and maintaining the current ones. I wanted to see how other hospital based group handle this. My main questions would be the following, any other information or insight anyone may have would be much appreciated and very helpful!
    Do your radiologist currently have a way to read from home, either after hours or on weekends?
    Who purchases and maintains the hardware?
    Who maintains the connection? Is radiology on it's own dedicated network?

    ------------------------------
    Danyle Conner
    Business Manager
    Four Corners Radiology Associates
    Farmington NM
    505-325-1572
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Home Workstations

    Posted 11-09-2020 12:04
    1. Yes
    2. Radiologists purchase their own equipment.
    3. I maintain our end of things (hardware, software, network connection) because I have a background in IT. Most small groups (without their own IT personnel) would likely just need to contract with an IT company. 



    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Home Workstations

    Posted 11-09-2020 12:29

    Currently the majority can read from home and we were doing that on a regular basis during the main Covid period in order not to risk exposure to too many in the group.  About 3 in our group reside where sufficient bandwidth is not available.

    Group bought own hardware.

    Health System provided VPN hardware and IT support for the software applications (EPIC, Sectra, PS360).

    Individual rads responsible for their end of internet connectivity.

     

    John Griffith

    Administrator

    DakotaRadiology

    2929 5th Street, Suite 230

    Rapid City, SD  57701

    Office: 605.721.8545

    Fax: 605.721.8827

    JGriffith@dakota-radiology.com

    www.dakota-radiology.com

     

    WARNING: CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE - The information contained in this transmission is the private, confidential property of Dakota Radiology, including patient information protected by federal and state privacy laws. This transmission is privileged communication intended solely for the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, dissemination, distribution or disclosure, or the taking of any other action relevant to the contents of this transmission, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please contact Dakota Radiology at 1-605-342-2852, or reply to the sender.



    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Home Workstations

    Posted 11-09-2020 15:54
      |   view attached
    Thx

    Trusted to provide     expert and caring radiology services for over 60 years

    Wayne Baldwin
    CEO
    (805) 879-7577

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  • 5.  RE: Home Workstations

    Posted 11-10-2020 08:18
    My group is also hospital based. All of our Radiologist have home workstations and have since before COVID. The group purchases the equipment and pays each radiologist an amount towards their internet bill. Each Radiologist gets the same amount unless their job is 100% remote. The hospital will help with IT issues that come from their end and they provide a VPN. Beyond that everything is up to us. We have contracted with one of the hospitals IT staff to help install PACS on the computers and trouble shoot. I learned how to install the workstations in their homes and do the basic IT work. I also found a person to build the computers from the ground up to meet the specs needed. This saved us about a grand per computer. Barco has some monitors for in home use that are extremely reasonable. Our radiologist work off 2 different PACS so they use a KVM to switch between the two. Diagnostic monitors are the largest expense in the set up and they take up a lot of space. Our stations consist of 2 non-diagnostic monitors for the work list, 2 diagnostic monitors, 2 computer towers, once mouse and keyboard, 2 power mics and a KVM. If the rads want anything else they supply it. Some like to have 4 non-diagnostic monitors.

    ------------------------------
    Buffy Patton
    Director of operations
    Tennessee Interventional and Imaging Associates
    Chattanooga TN
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Home Workstations

    Posted 06-14-2021 09:38
    Buffy - what KVM do you use?  We have implemented CONNECTPRO KVM's which use Display Port (not DVI) connection to monitors and we are finding lots of issues  Screen flickering, etc. that makes them unusable.

    Thanks,
    -rl

    ------------------------------
    Randy Lominick
    Director
    RGSolutions
    Ridgeland MS
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Home Workstations

    Posted 06-15-2021 09:19

    Hi Randy-

     

    We use a set up similar to the one described and use a medical grade KVM from KVM Switches on Line -DPN-4Quad-S. Display Port connections...the issues with flickering and general poor display results we encountered with prior setup occurred when we tried to use adaptors between DVI and Display Port. None when we upgraded for direct connections.

     

    Hope that helps.--Laurie

     

    Laurie A. Billington BS.,RT(R)(M)

    Director of Operations I Advanced Diagnostic Imaging, PC

    3400 N. Center Rd., Suite 400 I Saginaw, MI 48603

    PH: (989) 753-9000 x106 I Fax: (989) 753-4024

    ADI_LogoGetting a Clear Image of Your Health!

    PTO: July 1-5

     

    This email may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivery of this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this email is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please immediately notify the sender and delete this email from your computer. Thank you.



    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Home Workstations

    Posted 11-10-2020 08:24
    1. Yes
    2. The group purchased the hardware
    3. We have a contract with a local IT group to service our connection and equipment.  The hospital IT department is also involved in connection issues.  Our office manager is versed in IT issues so she coordinates all the activities.

    ------------------------------
    Kurt Lenhart
    CEO
    Kettering Network Radiologists, Inc.
    Miamisburg OH
    (937) 297-6307
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Home Workstations

    Posted 11-10-2020 10:29
    Thank you all for the information. Very helpful!

    Danyle

    ------------------------------
    Danyle Conner
    Business Manager
    Four Corners Radiology Associates
    Farmington NM
    505-325-1572
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Home Workstations

    Posted 11-18-2020 07:40
    I purchased "gaming" laptops for reading studies remotely.

    These have sufficient detail and dynamic range (a critical component) to provide a radiologist an accurate view of the study.

    If a radiologist asks for a monitor greater than 17 inches then we simply use a quality external gaming monitor with high dynamic range.

    As the cost of these laptops are much less than $1,000.00 - often around $600.00 - I have a 'working' laptop and one essentially in the desk drawer so radiologists always have a 'hot standby' at the ready at all times.   $600.00 for a spare is a pretty inexpensive insurance policy to ensure uninterrupted work.

    One doc keeps the spare laptop in his car for STAT reads or consultation with a referring physician (while he's at the golf course or otherwise taking time off).

    And amazingly a backlit keyboard with lighting in selectable colors is a hit.

    One doc even asked for a red 'gaming chair' to complement his setup - so I purchased it for him!

    Difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.

    In short, provide your radiologists with THE BEST equipment to ensure greatest detail/dynamic range, and a minimum of fatigue and eye strain.

    It's the most important tool in a radiologist's toolkit!

    ------------------------------
    William Kisse
    COO
    Washington Open MRI, Inc.
    Rockville, MD
    bill@womri.com
    (301) 424-4888
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/billkisse/
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


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