Cloud-based transmission of radiology imaging studies and reports is a big plus in cases where faster diagnosis and treatment can make a crucial difference. That advantage is really proving its worth in San Diego, where eMix is improving the care of trauma patients at the nationally prominent University of California San Diego Health System (UCSD).

As a Level 1 trauma center, UCSD treats patients sent from around the region by ambulance or air transport. eMix has greatly expedited the exchange of crucial radiological information between El Centro Regional Medical Center (ECRMC) and UCSD’s Hillcrest facility. Those changes are outlined in statements from ECRMC and UCSD.

The two institutions used to exchange imaging files the traditional way. El Centro staff burned the files to CD and sent them with the patient. The system may sound ridiculously Old World in an era where other large files such as Netflix movies can be downloaded and viewed by anyone with a computer and broadband connection.

But until the advent of eMix and similar services, medicine was stuck with antiquated file transfers -- because many institutions have proprietary IT systems that don't easily share files with other systems. Sometimes that’s true even within the same hospital.

That old system is plagued with problems such as lost CDs and files that can't be opened at the receiving institution. The process is also slow in a situation where minutes can mean the difference between favorable and unfavorable outcomes.

Another problem: If the files don't arrive or can't be accessed, the physicians at the waiting facility will often have the patient re-imaged immediately upon arrival, which increases the patient's radiation exposure.

UCSD and ECRMC have put that era behind them. With eMix, the files are securely exchanged in minutes, so that UCSD physicians can begin viewing them well before the patient's arrival. Because the system is vendor-neutral, the problem with disparate IT systems is completely bypassed.

Many of the ways that IT can improve health remain in the dream stage. But two Southern California hospitals have turned dreams into reality when it comes to medical information exchange.