Five Insights from RSNA 2024
Now that we’ve had time to reflect on RSNA 2024, the annual meeting held each year by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), we’ve collected insights our staff gleaned from their conversations on the show floor. Read on to learn the latest trends and challenges from the radiology world.
Enabling collaboration while maintaining data provenance
“Breaking down data silos between departments and institutions remains one of the biggest challenges we heard about in our discussions,” says Kevin Dogen, Senior Account Executive.
Not only is it difficult to enable data sharing, but it’s tough to do so while maintaining data provenance for auditability, attendees said.
“’Since we first spoke, our data has become even more difficult to manage,’” Jeff Carson, National Accounts Manager, recalls one academic medical center representative saying. “‘And we need to improve provenance and collaboration with research partners.’”
Gaining visibility and standardizing data
When it comes to managing vast quantities of imaging data, it seems not much has changed; it remains challenging for institutions to maintain consistency across formats as well as get a clear picture of everything they have available to them.
“A recurring theme that came up in conversations at RSNA was the amount of people coming to the booth with massive data sets that they can’t do anything with because of lack of visibility and standardization,” says Ben Haas, Healthcare Account Executive. “They were excited to hear Flywheel is able to help them.”
Accelerating AI and ML development
Despite recent strides in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), it can still be difficult for research institutions to use these emerging technologies in a meaningful way.
“Attendees we spoke to have great aspirations of biomarker and AI/ML development, and have now realized the value of curated and catalogued data,” says Mike Maker, Associate Director, Field Application Science. “Folks need data management.”
Integration, integration, integration
There are too many systems involved in imaging data research to adequately utilize everything in an efficient way. An overarching platform that plays well with others is needed to maintain format consistency and give the access needed for all parties involved.
“Data scientists we spoke to face significant challenges integrating data lakes, ensuring compliance with FHIR standards, connecting EHR and EMR systems, and achieving seamless PACS and VNA integration,” says Sina Aslan, Senior Director Solutions Strategist.
A hybrid approach to cloud
The cloud enables researchers to achieve newfound levels of computing and storage capabilities, especially when it comes to the vast amount of data some organizations are working with. But some institutions still need access to both cloud and on-premises storage, and they want a platform that will integrate both and can be customized to their needs.
“One cancer center met with us to discuss their goals with regard to their imaging data,” says Howie Pollard, Managing Director, North America East. “They attended our workshops to learn more about data lake architecture and hybrid solutions and are very interested in overhauling their research infrastructure to optimize their resources.”
We'd love to learn more about your challenges
Whether any of these challenges resonate or your institution faces different needs with regard to imaging data management, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch to speak with one of our representatives about how Flywheel can help you solve your greatest data challenges and maximize the value of your imaging data.
