More hospital administrators are shying away from teleradiology specialists and considering a hospital-based radiology group to actually read the images, according to a recent survey.
As imaging has become more important in the hospital setting, some administrators have moved to a teleradiology option to improve on efficiency. But some are finding that hospitals that go with an on-site group and establishing a radiology information system were actually seeing more value than those that were letting off-site specialists read the images.
The value-added services that the on-site radiology groups bring include:
Quality of interpretation of the images
Cost containment
- Safety of the patient
- Patient service and satisfaction
- Image quality
With a list like this, more hospital administrators are seriously considering an on-site radiology group with a radiology information system that could be housed off-site instead of breaking up their existing radiology services.
There is no shortage of critics of teleradiology, but there are still people who back the practice. The critics say that teleradiologists are forced to read the images too fast and that they don’t offer consultations as often or as effectively as the on-site radiologist. The lack of access to patient charts and doctor’s notes is also a common criticism. For some, this can be remedied with accurate, vendor-netural radiological images that are safely stored and easily shared through an offsite image archiving solution.
While the protocols set for on-site radiologists are the same for those who read from off-site, there remains a view that teleradiologists don’t follow protocol exams. Those who support teleradiology will say these claims are unsubstantiated, but more and more administrators are looking to on-site services.
During a Radiological Society of North America conference earlier this year, researchers indicated that their studies have shown that radiation oncologists are using more complex techniques to bring more accuracy to their imaging. These complexities bring value to the department, but also require an on-site radiologist rather than a remote reader. Having a qualified on-site radiologist is certainly one key element, but this is made possible by technology that provides clear, accurate and easily shared radiological image sharing.
A nine-month study of the impact of having a full-time, on-site radiologist in the oncology department showed that the oncology staff could schedule more time with the radiologist, which allowed doctors to determine treatment that they wouldn’t otherwise have pursued in around 25 percent of the cases. Another 20 percent of cases got deeper inspection because of the consultations with the radiologist.
Equipped with a vendor-neutral radiology information system and a full-time, on-site radiologist, it’s clear that doctors were becoming more educated on the condition of their patients, enabling them to look deeper into their original diagnoses and determine a better course of action. When the radiologist is on-site, the study found, they had access to doctors’ notes regarding the patient and they could use those notes to improve their imaging processes.
OffSite Image Management Inc., brings value to the on-site radiologist. Offsite offers a neutral vendor archiving system that brings the images hospitals need to the people who need to see them, regardless of the hardware or software they use to read the images.