Patient care is vastly improved
radiologists providing services from anywhere in the country, without the need to be in the same location as the patient. Available 24/7 for around the clock care.
What is Teleradiology?
Teleradiology is just as it sounds, it’s radiology performed through telecommunications. A radiologist will interpret medical images, while not physically present in the location in which they are generated. It’s a virtual assessment of the patient’s images.
Mobile imaging companies, hospitals, urgent care facilities, and other private practices all utilize teleradiology.
Until recently, teleradiology was only used in an emergency situation. However, once the internet came around, the practice began to spread like wildfire. Just like an email, it’s easy to send images across the world wide web.
Additionally, software programs have been developed specifically for the transmission of radiological images. This has resulted in teleradiology becoming a significant medical practice that only continues to grow in popularity.
WHO USES TELERADIOLOGY?
Any business can take advantage of teleradiology. Especially since it can be expensive to have an on-site radiologist reading images. The cost can shoot up to $1,500 in a single day.
However, through teleradiology, the office gets to pay on a per-exam basis. This means the cost can be as low as $8 an exam in some cases. For a facility that requires 24/7 services, or those with a low-volume of radiology patients, teleradiology provides huge savings.
Examples of Teleradiology
In a smaller practice, a physician may choose to use teleradiology to consult with other doctors who are in different locations. This helps with making a quicker diagnosis, getting a second opinion, and assisting with symptom control. At times, it may even be the first opinion, as some facilities might not have a radiologist available.
Another common scenario in teleradiology often takes place when a patient has an emergent need. If the hospital is small, there may be limited staff. Teleradiology makes it possible to immediately examine images taken by the ER team, which is particularly useful for rural areas.
Instant Access To Specialist
Whenever a particular subspecialist is needed, like a pediatric radiologist, musculoskeletal radiologist, or neuroradiologist, access to them is instant.
Easy to Solicit Other Opinions
Teleradiology can mean the difference between a patient receiving life-changing care or leaving without the proper treatment plan.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A TELERADIOLOGIST
When you’re searching for teleradiology services, you should be looking for a company that provides diagnostic reads 24/7/365 to healthcare organizations. They should network with high quality, subspecialty radiologists, and strive to provide the following services:
Accredited with the Joint Commission
Board certified radiologists based in the U.S.
No minimum fees or setup charge
Only charged for studies that are read
What you look for in a teleradiology group will also depend on business needs, so take your time and choose based on specifics.
HOW MAVEN IMAGING HELPS
Once you’ve purchased your digital x-ray system, you will need someone to do overreads or final reads, which must be performed by a board certified radiologist.
Every clinic will have different requirements when it comes to the type of radiologist group you choose. Some will need instant and quick responses, so Maven Imaging offers programs with a fast turnaround time. Results are returned in minutes, not hours or days.
At Maven, we also have teleradiology programs specifically designed for certain industries, like chiropractic. In this case, chiropractic radiologists are going to specifically look for things related to the clinical needs of a chiropractor.
Every bit of work performed through Maven Imaging teleradiology is done in the cloud. This means you can send images from digital software into a cloud database, so that radiologists can instantly view those images, and report on what they see.
