Philips Introduces Industry-First Vendor-Neutral Radiology Operations Command Center at RSNA 2020

Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology, announced commercial launch of the industry’s first vendor-neutral, multimodality, radiology operations command center to add secure, digital, virtual scanner access to existing imaging installs across multiple systems and sites.  Making its debut at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) virtual Annual Meeting (Nov 29 – Dec 5, 2020),  Philips Radiology Operations Command Center enables virtualized imaging operations via a private, secure, and auditable telepresence platform. Philips is the first company to market a radiology command center that can integrate with existing technologies and systems outside Philips. 

As a multimodality (MR and CT), vendor-neutral digital hub, the Radiology Operations Command Center connects imaging experts at a central command center with technologists and onsite staff in locations across an entire enterprise for real-time, over-the-shoulder collaboration and support. Powered by Philips’ proprietary, patented operational performance management technology, Radiology Operations Command Center enables remote access to scanners across an imaging network. Its remote scanner connections are compatible with older imaging platforms, allowing customers to operationalize a ‘Hub and Spoke’ model for imaging within their current install base. Radiology Operations Command Center enables multiple use cases such as virtual imaging assistance, virtual on-demand cross-training, and remote adjustment of imaging protocols for greater standardization.

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Addressing imaging technologist shortages, inconsistent workflows and quality issues

As radiology networks expand their services, they continue to experience technologist shortages, skill limitations, image quality issues, and scheduling challenges, all of which  impact patient care. Variability in imaging technologist expertise and procedure quality can lead to the need for repeat scans and recalls, resulting in additional procedure and training costs. Imaging procedure training, which traditionally requires in-person onsite training, is often difficult during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Combined with challenges in maintaining business continuity resulting from staff turn-over and recruitment difficulties, both of which have been further complicated by the pandemic, today’s imaging environment requires a totally new approach. 

Philips’ Radiology Operations Command Center addresses these challenges by providing virtual remote access and workflow capabilities in a secure environment.  Integrated solutions linking MR and CT to the command center will help increase the value and productivity of lead technologists, minimize image quality issues, accelerate training, and reduce travel time between sites for updating protocols. Radiology Operations Command Center helps expand access to imaging across an enterprise to help improve patient outcomes, improve patient and staff satisfaction and lower the cost of care.

Dr. Lawrence N. Tannenbaum

MD FACR, VP and Chief Technology Officer, Medical Director, Eastern Region at RadNet

“We have been deeply involved in piloting Philips’ Radiology Operations Command Center on our scanners over the past year, which is already showing great potential to help enhance our workflow efficiency and training needs,” said Dr. Lawrence N. Tannenbaum MD FACR, VP and Chief Technology Officer, Medical Director, Eastern Region at RadNet. “We use the technology to distribute our expertise across our network. Examples include cardiac imagers at one site helping to manage workload at other sites, while a rookie technologist doing a problematic prostate MR can get support from expert technologists at a central site. We are also leveraging the technology to centralize training, connecting people virtually to watch multiple exams on the same day from the central site. The information sharing is already showing great potential.” 

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