Having invested a lot of time over the past 10 years our taking ownership of our PACS/RIS/ systems, I found myself beginning the battle of ownership once again.  Certain vendors still believe that ownership of “their” system is the correct way to manage what happens and who has rights to admin.  While there are some applications that they may want to protect, overall server, storage, and administration needs to be in the hands of the client that has purchased these systems.

I understand 15 years ago, when we all used thick-client systems, doling out small tasks was a good way to break in the system admin or to evaluate the IT team that would be servicing the servers. Times have changed.  As hospitals and clinics start taking control of their own VMs and VNAs from their vendors, they are also wanting to break down the walls between IT and Radiology.

Information system managers that allow the system admin rights to remote into the end-user accounts and assist with issues are few and far between.  Those that do, find themselves with a healthy dose of satisfied users, no matter the vendor. It’s hard enough getting a password from the ‘tight-lipped’ vendor but there is no sense in making the admin’s job harder by locking him down within the intranet when it comes to updating software and assisting users online.

Or, is it just easier to lock everything down from the vendor, straight on down to IT, allowing the PACS admin little to no access to assist end-users remotely.  The PACS Admin, unfortunately, is the one digging the trenches and putting out fires with irate clinicians, radiologists, radiology directors and supervisors, has absolutely nothing in his arsenal but a telephone.  Hoping to get a quick response, whether from the vendor or IT.  Communication is only as good as this three-spoked wheel at turning in sync.

If vendors are truly wanting sole ownership of these newer, web-based PACS systems, they need to own it 100 percent.  That means dedicated service people that can respond immediately.  It means forming a lasting relationship that goes beyond the sale and through the first couple of months the system is in use.  It’s a partnership for life.  Vendors need to wake up and take a proactive responsibility with a means of communications beyond a sad call center approach.  An easy to use application that tracks the progress of your call to the engineer or applications, much like Amazon order tracking.  It must work seamlessly and provide accurate information updated quickly.

If the vendor just doesn’t have the resources and players in place, they will fail miserably with their customers.  Millions spent on a new product and knowing within months that you’re stuck with the same old, same old service practice of the early 2000’s will make Jack a dull boy!