Medical image sharing

Sharing medical images with referring doctors is best accomplished using cloud-based medical image sharing platforms or enterprise image exchange networks that deploy a zero-footprint HTML5 DICOM viewer . These systems render studies directly inside a standard web browser without requiring local software installations, Java/ActiveX plugins, local file downloads, or cumbersome VPN connections.[postdicom.com](https://www.postdicom.com/)[[2](https://www.postdicom.com/en/how-it-works)](https://www.postdicom.com/en/how-it-works)[[3](https://darwinist.io/docs/meddream)](https://darwinist.io/docs/meddream/)

How Image Sharing Works Without a VPN

Instead of sending physical CDs or forcing external clinicians to tunnel into your hospital's internal network via a VPN, modern workflows rely on web-native architectures:

• Direct Browser Streaming: The image data stays stored on a secure cloud PACS or Vendor-Neutral Archive (VNA). When a referring doctor opens a link, the zero-footprint viewer streams only the necessary pixels or utilizes HTML5 canvas rendering on the fly.[postdicom.com](https://darwinist.io/docs/meddream/)[[2](https://www.postdicom.com/en/how-it-works)](https://www.postdicom.com/)[[3](https://darwinist.io/docs/meddream)](https://www.auntminnie.com/imaging-informatics/enterprise-imaging/pacs-vna/article/15615094/intelerad-rolls-out-new-zero-footprint-viewer)[[4](https://www.auntminnie.com/imaging-informatics/enterprise-imaging/pacs-vna/article/15615094/-rolls-out-new-zero-footprint-viewer)]()

Top Platforms Offering Zero-Footprint, No-VPN Viewers

Best Practices for Secure Sharing

1. Enforce Expiration Dates: Automatically set share links to expire (e.g., after 7 to 14 days) so access cannot persist indefinitely.[postdicom.com](https://www.postdicom.com/en/how-it-works)
2. Use Two-Factor or Passcode Protection: Require a secondary PIN or password sent via SMS or a separate communication channel alongside the URL.
3. Audit Access Logs: Ensure your platform logs who opened the study, the IP address, and the exact timestamp for HIPAA accountability.
4. Transition Away from CDs: Phase out optical disc burning, which introduces delays, high failure rates, and local workstation software requirements.

If you'd like, let me know:

• How many studies or referring doctors you typically handle per month
• What PACS or EHR system (such as Epic, Cerner, or an independent practice setup) you currently use

I can help narrow down which platform or integration fits your workflow best.

For your use case, I’d focus on cloud-based medical imaging sharing platforms with a zero-footprint DICOM viewer and secure, browser-based access for referring providers. The key is that the receiving physician can open a study through a secure web link using a standard browser, without installing viewer software or connecting to your organization’s VPN.

I found three promising options to evaluate first: Purview Image, PostDICOM, and PocketHealth. They each address parts of this workflow, but differ in how they handle sharing, authentication, and integration with existing imaging systems.www.purview.net+2

Platforms worth shortlisting

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1. Purview Image

(Strong overall match)

A cloud PACS with a zero-footprint browser viewer, secure study sharing, and a referring-physician portal. Recipients can view shared studies without installing software, and the platform supports integrations with RIS and EMR systems.www.purview.net

Best for: Imaging centers and radiology practices that want sharing plus centralized image management.

Website:Purview Image

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2. PostDICOM

A browser-based viewer with password-protected, time-limited share links. Referring physicians can access images and attached PDF reports without a PostDICOM account, VPN, or local viewer installation. It also supports role-based access and DICOMweb integration.unitedstateseast.postdicom.com

Best for: Practices that want straightforward link-based sharing and a clearly defined remote-access workflow.

Website:PostDICOM

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3. PocketHealth Provider Image Exchange

Focuses on exchanging diagnostic images between healthcare organizations, with direct physician access, automated image retrieval, and network-independent sharing. Its physician-facing workflow supports access without installing a viewer.www.pockethealth.com+1

Best for: Hospitals and imaging networks that need to exchange studies with external referral partners at scale.

Website:PocketHealth Image Exchange

What I would require before selecting a vendor

A zero-footprint viewer is only one part of a secure imaging-sharing workflow. Ask each vendor to demonstrate these requirements:

Important distinction: “No VPN required” should apply to the referring physician's access. Your internal process for transferring studies into the cloud may have separate network and security requirements. Also, a vendor's HIPAA-compliance claims are not a substitute for your own security and contractual review.

My recommendation

I would start with Purview Image and PostDICOM for demonstrations. Add PocketHealth if your main priority is cross-organization image exchange rather than simply sending a study link. These are preliminary fits based on published capabilities, not independent security certifications or hands-on product testing.

One question to narrow this down: Are you sharing studies from an existing hospital or imaging-center PACS, or do you need a standalone cloud platform that will also store the images? That distinction will substantially change which solution is the best fit.

For sharing patient imaging with outside physicians without requiring them to install software or connect through a VPN, the main options are web-based diagnostic image viewers, secure image-sharing portals, and cloud-based vendor-neutral archives (VNAs) with zero-footprint viewing.

For a healthcare organization, the ideal workflow lets a referring physician open a secure link in a standard browser, authenticate appropriately, and view CT, MRI, X-ray, ultrasound, and other DICOM studies without a local viewer installation or access to your internal network.

The key distinction is that a zero-footprint viewer eliminates local software installation, while a VPN-free architecture makes the images accessible through a securely exposed, internet-facing service. A solution should provide both.

Shortlist of solutions to evaluate

These are strong candidates based on their published capabilities, particularly browser-based viewing, external image sharing, and integration with existing imaging systems.

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1. Intelerad Enterprise Viewer

(Strong fit)

A cloud-based, zero-footprint viewer designed for secure access to images across multiple imaging systems. It supports browser-based diagnostic-quality viewing, collaboration, and remote access without leaving patient data on the viewing device after use, according to the vendor.www.intelerad.com+5

Best for: health systems needing a shared enterprise viewer across departments and outside specialists.

Product details

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2. Philips Enterprise Viewer

A vendor-neutral, browser-based viewer that can connect to existing archives and patient records. Philips describes secure study-link sharing with outside clinicians, optional EHR integration, and tools for image comparison, collaboration, and advanced visualization.www.usa.philips.com+1

Best for: organizations with existing PACS or enterprise imaging infrastructure that want to extend access externally.

Product details

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3. Sectra UniView

An HTML5 zero-footprint viewer for accessing medical images, reports, and other clinical information from different devices. It supports secure login, referring-physician workflows, and integration with Sectra's enterprise imaging platform and VNA.medical.sectra.com+1

Best for: health systems seeking an enterprise-wide viewer and centralized image access.

Product details

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4. Intelerad InteleShare (formerly Ambra Health)

A cloud image-exchange platform for securely sharing studies with referring physicians and other facilities. It supports secure web-link sharing and exchange workflows, with options for connecting to existing PACS systems.www.intelerad.com+1

Best for: organizations focused on cross-facility exchange and sharing with many external practices, rather than simply providing a new viewer for an existing archive.

Product details

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5. Microsoft PowerShare Image Sharing

A cloud-based network for sharing and viewing medical images between connected providers and facilities. It offers browser access and uses the integrated eUnity viewer. Sharing workflows depend on account and network connections, so confirm how easily your specific outside doctors can be onboarded.www.microsoft.com+1

Best for: organizations that need an image-exchange network, not just direct access to their own PACS.

Product details

Another option worth considering is PostDICOM, which advertises password-protected sharing links and browser-based viewing for referring physicians and teleradiology providers without requiring a PACS connection or VPN on the recipient's end. Validate its diagnostic capabilities and enterprise security requirements for your use case.unitedstateseast.postdicom.com+5

How the options compare

These are capability-based groupings drawn from vendor descriptions, not independent performance rankings. Confirm the exact product edition, deployment model, and external-access workflow during evaluation.www.intelerad.com+5

Security requirements to put in your RFP

A zero-footprint viewer is not automatically a secure image-sharing solution. I would require vendors to demonstrate the following:

• VPN-free external access: Outside physicians connect through a secured, internet-accessible service without network access to your internal systems.
• Strong authentication: Named accounts, MFA, and preferably federated identity where feasible. If using share links, require recipient verification and controls against unauthorized forwarding.
• Patient-level permissions: Access restricted to the specific patient and study, with expiration and revocation.
• Minimal local data: Images are streamed or rendered remotely, with controls for browser caching, downloads, printing, and local storage.
• Auditability: Logs capture who accessed which patient's images, when, and from where.
• HIPAA and contractual protections: Appropriate business associate agreement, encryption in transit and at rest, retention policies, incident response, and documented security controls.
• Clinical suitability: Verify whether the viewer is cleared for the intended diagnostic use, particularly for primary radiology interpretation versus referring-physician review.

My recommendation

Start with Intelerad Enterprise Viewer, Philips Enterprise Viewer, and Sectra UniView if you already operate an enterprise PACS or VNA and want to extend image access securely to outside physicians.

Prioritize Intelerad InteleShare or Microsoft PowerShare if the bigger problem is exchanging images across organizations that use different imaging systems.

Before choosing, run a proof of concept in which an outside physician receives access to a test study, opens it on a standard browser without a VPN, reviews the images, and then loses access when the permission expires.

One question that would help narrow the shortlist: What imaging environment do you currently use?

1. Current imaging environment

Existing PACS or VNA (e.g., Sectra, GE, Philips, Fuji, Agfa)

Cloud PACS

No central PACS / standalone imaging center

Multiple hospitals or different PACS vendors

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2. Organization size

Small imaging center or practice

Hospital or health system

Multi-organization network or HIE

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3. Primary use case

Referring doctors reviewing studies and reports

Diagnostic interpretation by outside radiologists

Sending and receiving full imaging studies between organizations

[Narrow the shortlist]