Next Generation Radiology Reporting
Teleradiology or Tele reporting is the transmission of radiological patient images from one location to another. Radiology images are such as x-rays, CTs, and MRIs. The purpose is of sharing studies with other radiologists and physicians for their clinical interpretation.
Teleradiology refers to the practice of a radiologist interpreting medical images while not physically present in the hospital location. Hospitals, mobile imaging companies, urgent care facilities, and even some private practices utilize teleradiology. The main idea behind the use of teleradiology is that it is expensive to have a radiologist on-site. And, in remote upcountry areas, it’s not easy to get a skillful radiologist always. Additionally, using a teleradiology service enables you to pay on a per exam basis. For facilities requiring 24/7 services, or those that have a small volume of radiology patients, it can provide huge savings and ROI.
Popularity of Teleradiology services is increasing across the globe. The service was immensely helpful during the pandemic time. Advantages of Teleradiology are manyfold.
- Low cost ( Diagnostic centers with low patient footfall can easily afford )
- 24 x 7 service ( Odd hour emergency reporting )
- No Infrastructure cost ( Cloud-based architecture, can start using a normal web browser )
- Backup support for the bigger facility ( Easy to manage the sudden upsurge of cases or during the absence of onsite radiologists )
- Secondary Opinion ( Radiologist can discuss a case online with peers )
- Remote area coverage ( In general, it’s tough to get qualified radiologists away from the main cities. Teleradiology can help )
Workflow of a typical Teleradiology system
Teleradiology in India
The practice of teleradiology in India is not more than a decade. The first successful use of this service in India was in 1996 by a private-sector imaging center in Mumbai. Where a simple system for transferring images from the imaging center to the homes of the individual doctors was set up. Primarily, it was, to report emergency CT scans. Meanwhile, the first public demonstration of teleradiology in practice was by Siemens at the Annual Congress of the Indian Radiology and Imaging Association (IRIA) in 1997. Where they transferred radiological images from a Siemens AR.C scanner to the conference site. Subsequently, Wipro GE came up with teleradiology capabilities for their entire range of scanners.
The first teleradiology company in India, Teleradiology Solutions, was established in 2002 with its base in Bangalore. It was by Dr. Arjun Kalyanpur and his colleagues, all radiologists with US board certification. Whereas, these services were offered for places in Singapore and India under the name of Teleradiology Solution LLP. Wipro Technologies was an early mover in providing nighthawk tele reporting and 3D reconstruction services. After that, many companies announced their intentions to enter this market and some small enterprises provide services for preliminary reads.
Why people choose us for the Teleradiology service
- We are the service partner for luminary Teleradiology Solution LLP providing the best service backup for local installations
- Jump starts installation, one can start reporting within a day !!
- No infrastructure cost
- Easiest web application to use. Shortest learning curve.
- High skillful radiologists round the clock
- Wide range of Service Level Agreement (SLA)
- All radiology modalities reporting. X-Ray, CT Scan, MRI, PET CT, PET MRI, etc.
- FDA & CE certification
- JCI accreditetion, regular automatic periodic quality check
- Less than 1 hr emergency reporting
Is Teleradiology Reliable Comparing with Conventional Radiology?
The essential difference between both is the presence of radiologists on site. In conventional radiology practice, the radiologist is present physically at the site of imaging, whereas, in tele reporting, the images are interpreted remotely by a radiologist who is not present at the hospital site. Considering the quality of clinical interpretation both are equally accepted globally. Moreover, teleradiology setup comes with its own advantages on cost, Turn Around Time & convenience.
Who will be reading our cases?
Exceptionally high-quality Radiologists from top universities (e.g. for international locations Harvard, Yale, UMass, Baylor, Johns Hopkins, Mallinckrodt, Stanford, and Cornell) read your scans. Moreover, for India, we have a team of MD & DNB radiologists. Many of our radiologists are the American Board (ABR Certified). We rigorously follow an internal ACR Peer review process.
What areas of subspecialty reporting do you cover?
We offer expertise in multiple subspecialties including neuro-radiology, musculoskeletal, body, emergency radiology, pediatrics, PET/CT & oncologic imaging and cardiac CT angiography.
What is the turn-around time for reporting?
Typical for STAT or Emergency reporting the Turnaround Time (TAT) is less than 30-45 minutes. However, this is subject to the agreed turnaround time with the clients.
How will I access my finished reports?
Reports may be transmitted & viewed online using our web-based reporting system. Additionally, urgent findings are telephoned promptly to the referring physician. And, the reports can be accessed directly from your EMR subject to the HL7 integration and upload.
How do we send our studies for reporting?
You can send your studies in many ways. If you have an existing PACS system you can route the DICOM image directly to our systems. Alternatively, we can provide you with our Teleradiology software for sending your images for reporting.
Can you help with Teleradiology software for our group to enable our group to perform teleradiology?
We can provide the teleradiology platform for sending the Scans for Tele reporting. We have a top-of-the-line product RADSpa which helps in sending images from multiple locations to a single worklist. Additionally, we can support you with the setting up of software.
Do you provide technical support for the teleradiology software?
We provide 24×7 technical support services on-call to troubleshoot any issues should problems develop due to technological infrastructure reasons
How secure is your system?
We are a HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) company and our processes, systems, and infrastructures are completely committed to confidentiality and data security.
Do you carry malpractice insurance?
We carry malpractice coverage valid in all U.S states and each one of our Radiologists is covered for $1 mil/ $3 mil coverage individually through a top-tier insurance provider.
How do you manage quality control?
Teleradiology Solutions is a Joint Commission (JC) accredited company and we have stringent quality control (QC) mechanism with a dedicated quality team managing the same. Moreover, Teleradiology Solutions’ Quality Assurance performance is constantly monitored in a precise way and an internal review generates alert levels on the basis of the ACR Scores (American College of Radiology Scores) to monitor any discrepancies. Therefore, these internal reviews implement appropriate corrective actions at all phases leading up to the finished report.
How do our referring physicians speak with the reporting radiologists?
Your referring physicians can speak to our radiologist at any time through a toll-free number.
Is there a long-term commitment or minimum study volume involved with regards to engaging with you?
No. This is the most flexible system one can have. This is a SAAS model and one can use it whenever he needs and pay accordingly only for the quantity of service he avails.
How much time does it take to start off on your teleradiology service?
We offer an advanced turn-key technological solution and we can start servicing you in as little as three days. Overall, however, the timeframe will vary depending on individual circumstances, credentialing requirements, etc.
How do I get started?
Once the contract is through with the client our service team member reviews the implementation process with client staff members. We first do a technical evaluation and install all necessary hardware and software. Our radiologists then work with the client to optimize protocols to maximize patient throughput. Moreover, we provide training to the client on how to order interpretation services and how they will receive reports.