So, what is an Imaging Warehouse? One of the greatest enhancements to occur in computer technology in the last five years is the ability to manipulate more than traditional text and numbers. Today information is shared in a variety of forms: text and numbers, sound, and static and dynamic visual representations. Information sharing today requires "multimedia" technologies. Unfortunately, many entities within rural and urban communities still continue to process information in a manual, paper based environment. One of the opportunities presented by the RTC is for these entities to share the technology, a microfilm or optic disk jukebox, that permits the progression from this manual, paper based environment to computerized, multimedia information sharing.
For some the imaging warehouse will permit the storage and retrieval of formally paper mediums. For instance, an insurance agent can exchange several file cabinets for computer access to the same information stored as images in the warehouse. City and county governments can provide access to government documents, property descriptions, and historical material through computer access to the imaging warehouse while also protecting these materials from natural disasters. The virtual library is possible by allowing complete access to library materials stored on microfilm or CD-ROM.
For others in the community and region the imaging
warehouse will serve as the means to integrate formally paper
based mediums with existing computer based information
managed by a variety of entities into a more comprehensive
understanding of a situation. For instance, the current
driving force in rural health care delivery is to provide
earlier, preventative care close to the patient's home.
Community and Regional Health Information Networks will prove
to be successful as greater integration of information
occurs. The imaging warehouse and the expertise provided by
these technologists make it possible, in a secured and
confidential environment, to provide aggregated, multimedia
information about a rural citizen to a health care provider
from the various clinics, hospitals, home health agencies, or
nursing homes in a region who may have participated in the
delivery of health care to that individual in the past. This
ability to aggregate information through the imaging
warehouse also allows the health status of the community and
region to be evaluated easily and quickly. This enhanced
access and ability to manipulate multimedia information will
quickly reduce the economic burden placed on rural
communities while also further insuring the protection of the
information.