Indiana Health Information Exchange, Inc. (IHIE) is partnering with SeeMyRadiology.com, a cloud-based medical imaging platform, to make it easier for Indiana physicians and hospitals to access and share radiology images with the launch of ImageZone, a cloud-based medical image sharing platform that provides a digital alternative to the traditional methods of sharing radiology images on hard copy films and CDs.

According to the Indiana HIE, ImageZone aims to enable healthcare providers the ability to securely access and share patient medical images, such as X-rays, mammograms, MRIs, ultrasounds and CT scans, in real time. It will be offered in Indiana exclusively through IHIE and is powered by SeeMyRadiology.com's cloud computing platform, which reportedly adheres to all HIPAA compliance standards, and is equipped with encryption and compression technology aiming to allow secure image sharing, routing and viewing via a single online community.

"Giving providers timely access to accurate and diagnostic-quality medical images can make an immediate impact on patient health, particularly in urgent care situations when doctors may not have time to re-image a patient," Dr. Joshua Nelson, chief medical officer for IHIE, said in a statement.

One area where Indiana HIE says ImageZone will have an impact is the care process for transferring trauma patients -- a situation that frequently requires healthcare providers from rural and specially-equipped facilities to quickly exchange medical images. It will allow providers to share images digitally from any PC or mobile device with an Internet connection, rather than manually via CD or hard copy films, which can be lost or unreadable.