When you research for storage of your DICOM images database, you’ll find local storage. But, you might not as clear as you should be.
An onsite PACS indeed is known as a local PACS. It doesn’t have cloud storage and unlimited storage space. A local PACS is to store your data or records on your desktop computer in an external hard drive that gets just a backup. It needs to update your tools and equipment regularly to meet the needs.
However, you need to use suitable storage to keep your patients’ records regardless of which DICOM medical image viewer you use. As you like to know more about local PACS, that’s why we going to discuss everything that you’re looking for.
Why Do You Need a Storage Space?
All medical professionals need some types of storage space for medical imaging of their patients. If you get back to the very old days, you’ll find there were lots of file cabinets in hospitals and other medical practices.
It’s because there were no other ways to store the documents and images without cabinets. When the technology gets advanced, the methods did these as well. But, many people have been caught by limbo of the medical imaging storage.
It’s not the case and doesn’t go with the modern methods that they’re using as their storage. This is a thing that looks like an innocent mistake. But, this innocent mistake may lead you to some large penalties along with permanent data loss.
What You Should Know About Local Storage?
The file cabinets are the most common form and the best example of local storage. But, they have become outdated last year and many people have confused that technological solutions can measure like local storage. Apart from file cabinets, there were some other ways to store medical images in local storage.
These include onsite PACS, physical hard drives, and local viewing station via desktop. You have some simple ways to find out whether your storage is local or not. If you can’t use your patients’ medical images electronically then you’re using old local storage.
Advantages of Local Storage
There are situational advantages of using local storage. You might don’t want to use the solution for a long term that happens for jurisdictions where you don’t have any problem if the images get lost after a certain period.
Also, it’ll not make you any penalties as you have used them in your cases. Or, you don’t want to keep patient proceedings for a long term basis if you’re an educator or student. In these cases, local solutions are the best as it doesn’t require sharing medical images.
Disadvantages of Local Storage
The biggest one among many disadvantages is that you’ll not get a backup of your medical images. As a result, you’re always at risk of losing your patients’ images and data from a natural or manmade disaster. What’s more, you may face robbery, earthquake, power outages, electrical surges, and many more issues.
