A New Platform Approach – The Curated Marketplace: Part 2

Blackford Analysis

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An imaging platform should offer access to a marketplace of applications that address the full range of needs of a radiology department and its referring physicians. Lately, platforms have been strongly associated with artificial intelligence (AI) applications and algorithms. A platform is a natural fit for AI because the field is advancing rapidly, and these applications will continue to evolve over time. Since AI applications are in a state of flux and evolution, a platform approach enables healthcare organizations to better manage the risk associated with the adoption and deployment, ultimately simplifying their integration into clinical workflow. The benefits of a platform strategy are also applicable to many other medical imaging applications and software add-ons beyond AI. “What you’re looking for in a platform is the ability to simultaneously use multiple applications from multiple vendors, seamlessly integrated into the platform.”

William Moore, MD, Chief of Thoracic Imaging, Clinical Director of Radiology Information Technology, NYU.

A centralized platform methodology simplifies the selection, deployment and maintenance of any application that resides on the platform. It should also control data flow to ensure the right studies are sent to the appropriate application and the right results are then sent to the appropriate location. Once the platform is integrated, the hard work is over. The Curated Marketplace While a standard marketplace may offer applications that are not validated by the platform provider, a curated marketplace takes the approach a step further, providing comprehensive vetting of the applications. The vetting process covers regulatory clearances, software and hardware validation, technical and end-user support, interoperability, privacy and security issues. A curated marketplace relieves the healthcare organization from the responsibility of the vetting process, saving time and money – this responsibility now lies with the platform provider. A curated marketplace enables a radiology organization to more confidently and quickly build its toolbox of imaging applications by choosing from a number of vetted solutions. “If my organization wants to adopt an imaging application that identifies CT brain haemorrhage, but there were 12 different applications doing this, am I going to analyze 12 different applications to find the one that works best? No, that’s too costly and time consuming, not to mention impractical.”

Stephen Willis, CTO, Canopy Partners

Learn more… Download our White Paper and learn how a curated marketplace can significantly improve the deployment and maintenance of medical imaging applications and AI algorithms. Next time In the final part of this blog series, we’ll look at the benefits of the platform approach and a curated marketplace.