The Hidden Risks of Staying With a Familiar Reporting Vendor

When evaluating radiology reporting technology, switching platforms often feels like the riskier decision. It introduces questions about implementation, workflow disruption and how radiologists will adapt to a new system.

However, staying with a familiar vendor carries risks of its own, especially when longstanding limitations have become part of everyday workflows.

When Workarounds Become the Norm

Over time, radiologists learn to work around the limitations of their reporting systems. What starts as a minor inconvenience can become an accepted part of the job.

As Charles Q. Li, MD, a neuroradiologist and physician informaticist at Allegheny Health Network, shared during a recent webinar:

“We have a lot of deeply ingrained workflows and things that we do, whether it's dictating numbers or typing, that I think other technology spheres would look at us and think, ‘You're in the Dark Ages.’”

This is a small example of a larger challenge: When technology doesn't evolve, the burden of adapting often falls on the radiologist.

Familiar Doesn't Always Mean Lower Risk

Dr. Li also emphasized the importance of looking at a vendor's track record and whether its technology has demonstrated meaningful progress.

“If it's been stagnant over the last couple of years, do you have confidence that it's really going to change significantly in the next year or two for the better, or do you think it's going to stay the same?”

The same evidence-based approach used to evaluate new solutions can help organizations determine whether staying with their current platform is truly the safer decision.

Rethinking the “Safer” Choice

Before deciding whether to stay or switch, take stock of what your organization has learned to accept. Which workarounds are now routine? Which limitations remain unresolved? And what evidence suggests those challenges will improve?

These questions can help leaders move beyond familiarity and evaluate their reporting technology against what their organization needs today and in the future.

Watch the full webinar here.