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What is
VSN? VSN is a combination of desktop programs and an Internet website. The combination allows for sending, receiving, archiving, and sharing of various medical imagery. |
| The Open Approach: | The
system is very open in that VSN can accept images from
nearly any capture source. Since VSN uses the Internet as
a delivery mechanism, anyone with an Internet connection,
and the proper passwords, can access the case data.
Individual practitioners can provide their password to
their associates or make patient imagery available
directly to clients. Typically, a practicing veterinarian
will send images to a specialist for interpretation
by the specialist.
With VSN however, the "veterinarian" and
"specialist" can be any VSN participant. For
that reason, within VSN the terms
"veterinarian" and "sender" are
synonymous as well as the terms "specialist"
and "receiver". To see the system in operation, go
to the Veterinary Login to see the veterinary end of VSN
or go to the Specialist Login to see the specialist end of VSN.
Follow the on-screen instructions for logging in. |
| WHO is VSN? | The
VSN concept was developed by Dr. Steven Garner, DVM. Dr. Garner owns one of the
most successful and respected small/exotic animal veterinary clinics in the United States. He also
owns an Internet technology company, Globalport.com,inc. providing the needed expertise in
data transfer and computer operations necessary for large
scale image transfer. At Globalport.com, Mr. Phil
Bellmore oversees the programming and day-to-day
development of the VSN software. While the original concept was Dr.
Garner's, VSN development has been really directed by our
users. We are committed to providing software that works
for veterinarians. We continually search for new
technologies that can make tele-medicine easier, faster,
and more meaningful. |
| The VSN Advantage... | VSN
allows for a controlled, archived, and
monitored approach to your critical image transfer
process. VSN provides positive confirmation that your
images are received at the database and you can monitor
the progress of your case. STAT cases are preferentially
made available to the reviewing specialist instead of
ending up in a queue of cases. All images are
double-archived with physical separation of the archive
media. You maintain physical control over the original
films. The VSN database is monitored 24 hours a day,
seven days a week to provide maximum availability. -back- |
| Your Success | At
VSN, we recognize that the reason for your use of
tele-medicine is to provide better care to your clients
and patients. Because of that, we are very pro-active in
obtaining user's comments regarding the use-ability of
the entire system and will work with you to make the
applications as useful as they can be. -back- |
| The VSN Software | VSN
is the primary desktop software package. It requires a computer
running Windows '95 or Windows NT. VSN allows you to
select the images for sending, annotate them, provide a
case history, and provide patient data. VSN sends the
images via the Internet to the computers located at
Globalport.com,inc. After the images are successfully
sent, VSN will open your Internet web browser and you
assign the case data to a "Specialist". The
"specialist" can be a participating Board
Certified Specialist, yourself, or another VSN
participant. -back- |
| The VSN Website | The
VSN website is the "traffic cop" of the system.
At the website, veterinarians and specialists login and
retrieve cases or results. As a veterinarian, you receive information regarding the progress of your case. Once your case is read, the webpage will indicate that the results are available. As a Specialist, you
receive a list of cases sent to you. To review a case,
you would click on the Case ID button and retrieve the
case data and images. After making your diagnosis, you
input the comments and send the information back to the
sender. If you decide to send your comments back via
another method, VSN can accommodate that also. If
desired, you can open the VSNImage software. |
| The VSN Image Software | While
viewing the image on the website, it may be necessary to
enhance the image. VSNImage was made for that. From the
webpage, you click on a "link", which will load
VSNImage from your computer and allow for detailed
viewing of the case's images. -back- |
| Customizing VSN | There
are a variety of ways to customize VSN for your specific
needs. We can scan your clinic logo and place it on your
results pages for printing. There are many defaults
within the VSN software to allow tailoring of the program
to your needs. We can adjust how the website pages are
presented based on your viewing preference. Basically, if
there is a way to make VSN work better for you, you just
need to let us know and we will try to get it done. -back- |
| The Cost | All software and support is free. Each case your transmit will be charged $3 by VSN. Each specialist has their own rates, typically depending on the type of case, and the frequency of use. We will be happy to send you the latest price list.
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| Hardware For Capturing Images | Image
capture benefits greatly from a modern, high powered
computer. Typically, a 200 Mhz or better computer with at
least 2GB of available disk space makes for a very
capable system. For situations which require large number
of images, such as a practice performing equine
pre-purchase exams or where a large volume of images are
being sent, at least 4 GB of available disk space is
recommended. A tape backup system is strongly recommended
for image archiving. A 17" monitor is usually
acceptable on the sending end while a 19" monitor
might be better for an individual receiving images on a
regular basis. VSN can recommend a variety of image
capture approaches along with the associated hardware.
Image capture hardware ranges in price from $1,200 to
$15,000. -back- |
| How Do You Get Started? | The
first step is deciding who you are going to send images
to. If you wish to send to/receive from a colleague, then
you and your colleague will need to download some
software and obtain User Ids and Passwords. If you wish
to send to one of VSN's participating specialist, then
you will need to develop a business relationship with the
specialist in addition to downloading the VSN software.
Please call us for the phone numbers of our participating
specialists. All software is available at the VSN download website. Prior to installing VSN, you must contact the VSN Administrator at 281-338-9785 to receive a User ID and a Clinic ID. Prior to being able to receive images, you must call the VSN Administrator to receive a Specialist's ID. -back- |