HerScan puts patients in control of their care with PowerShare Image Sharing
PowerShare enables radiologists, patients, and providers to view and exchange imaging and reports anytime, anywhere.
Empowering the patient
Discover how PowerShare streamlines the workflow for HerScan’s sonographers, radiologists, and support staff—and makes it simple for patients to access their imaging studies and reports and share them with their doctors.
Challenge
Reduce time to deliver breast ultrasound screening results to patients and give them easy access to their imaging.
Solution
PowerShare Image Sharing
Results
Faster access to imaging and results for patients and providers accelerates care and reduces patient anxiety.
Background
Every year, breast cancer kills hundreds of thousands of women worldwide. In many cases, early detection may have increased patients’ chances of survival. For women forty and older, relying on an annual mammogram isn’t enough to detect cancer in dense breast tissue.
HerScan, a mobile breast ultrasound screening company, is changing this equation by providing convenient, affordable access to ultrasound technology capable of detecting cancers within dense tissue.
“By adding ultrasound into the breast care regimen, you can increase detection rates from 48% to 97%,” says Mary Jo Henderson, CEO and Managing Member of HerScan. “Our goal is to make it easy for women to access great preventative medical technology and do more for their breast health.”
Accelerating the patient care journey
HerScan provides an invaluable service, but Henderson knew that relying on manual sharing through physical media, such as CDs and thumb drives, would slow down turnaround times and the care journey.
Initially, images captured at mobile sites were uploaded to storage devices and mailed back to the HerScan office to be downloaded and sent to HerScan’s radiology teams. The results of each read then had to be printed and mailed to patients. The whole process could take 12 to 14 days, leaving women in a state of prolonged anxiety as they waited for results.
To resolve this issue, HerScan began to review technologies that would accelerate the process. After evaluating several offerings, the company chose Nuance PowerShare Image Sharing to enable radiologists, patients, and providers to view and exchange imaging and reports anytime, anywhere. “The Nuance team helped us get up and running almost immediately by connecting us with thousands of outside facilities and embedding a simple portal on our website for patient access,” Henderson says.
Giving patients more control over their care
PowerShare streamlines the workflow for HerScan’s sonographers, radiologists, and support staff—and makes it simple for patients to access their imaging studies and reports and share them with their doctors.
Imaging from HerScan’s mobile screening facilities is sent to radiologists through PowerShare. Final reports and associated studies are then made available to patients through HerScan’s PowerShare customer portal. Patients can sign into their PowerShare account to review and share their results. Often, the entire process can be completed within 24 hours.
“One woman who came to us was very concerned about a mass she felt in her breast,” says Henderson. “It looked like a significant finding, so we wanted to get the imaging to our radiologist as quickly as possible. With PowerShare, we were able to turn that around almost the same day, so then the patient could share the imaging and report with her doctor, make a biopsy appointment, and quickly begin getting the surgeries she needed.”
Through PowerShare, HerScan customers can also securely and easily access all their historical imaging, reports, and results to monitor changes in their breast health over time. “Patient‑driven account access was a great suggestion from Nuance, and they gave us a lot of help getting it set up,” says Henderson. “The support we’ve received has been excellent.”
Unmatched outcomes
90%
reduction in patient waiting times for screening results
̴ 750+
exams shared per month
585+
patient accounts
Empowering women across the nation
With the help of PowerShare, HerScan has dramatically accelerated the care journey for the women it serves. Now, instead of waiting weeks for results, patients can get their studies back within days of their scan.
And since PowerShare is cloud‑based and HITRUST certified, HerScan can focus on delivering even better care for more patients and scale their efforts. HerScan operates in 17 states and continues to expand its services. With 14,000+ connected facilities and counting, PowerShare will support HerScan’s growth every step of the way.
“We’ve scanned nearly 70,000 women to date and impacted a lot of lives—and we’re growing really rapidly,” says Henderson. “With PowerShare and the support of the Nuance team, we’ll be able to empower many more women to do a whole lot more for their breast health.”