“Neutral” systems cannot stay clear of migration issues
Again, the lessons presented by Michael J. Cannavo in his latest AuntMinnie post (part 6), are a refreshingly realistic take on the PACS world, this time regarding migration.
The article comprehensively highlights the complexity of a migration project, pitfalls that I’ve seen many times over. The conclusion is clear: your best ally when embarking on a new migration project is someone who has solid previous experience from such journeys.
The key point in Mr. Cannavo’s discussion is the push for a “vendor-neutral environment”. While I am fully in favor of increasing standardization, I fear that terms like “vendor neutrality” and in particular “PACS-neutral archives” (PNA) can be deceptive. It seems like the assumption is that a PNA is immune to the IT challenges facing PACS. (The fact that I represent a company providing both PACS and PNA solutions should ensure some level of objectiveness when comparing them.) For instance, you could get the idea that buying a PNA means that you never will run into migration challenges ever again. But what if you want to replace your PNA someday? Many of the reasons why you would want to replace a PACS apply also to PNA.
I can think of two reasons why people could consider PNA to be a more appealing breed with regards to migration. One is that because their business is intended to facilitate migrations, PNA vendors wouldn’t mind being switched out. Well, I find it unlikely that PNA vendors are more idealistic than others about losing revenue. The other reason would be that the DICOM format in the PNA is more standardized than “regular” DICOM. True, they can be expected to stay clear of the worst examples of proprietary items, but so does, for instance, Sectra PACS.
The main issue remains: DICOM is a highly nonstandard standard, as Mr. Cannavo puts it. Just like a PACS, every PNA will have its individual DICOM implementation, and thus the migration challenge is just as valid for a PNA.
My advice to those concerned about lock-in effects: Make sure your vendor has a track record of reasonable helpfulness when sites have switched them out. This is true regardless of whether they label themselves PACS or PNA vendors.
