Telehealth continues to garner attention, particularly in rural areas where healthcare services aren’t as comprehensive or available as those in urban areas. However urban facilities also find value in teleradiology to cover heavy caseloads and to reduce the amount of dependency they have for on-call technicians.
Some of the top advantages of using teleradiology include the following:
- Easy distribution of radiology services
- A solution for small hospitals without radiology staff
- Images are read in minutes rather than in days
- Complex problems can be addressed at major medical centers
- Reduced caseload pressure for in-house radiologists
- Perfect educational medium, as images and data can be shared among radiologists
Every healthcare facility has unique needs, which means adopting a teleradiology solution that can be customized to fit your requirements is a crucial component in choosing the right vendor.
Teleradiology Challenges
Among the biggest challenges in teleradiology involves distance – the distance between the person interpreting an exam and the referring physician that sent the exam. This can lead to some issues in regard to conveying complex information or even something as simple as reprioritizing the status of an exam. Without the proper communication tools, teleradiology can prove to be a bit of a mystery in terms of who has your exam, when it’s going to be interpreted and how complex information can be discussed.
Easing the Challenges
Partnering with the right teleradiology vendor can help to ease or completely wipe out some of the more common teleradiology complaints. It can let you know the status of an exam through every step of the process. Rather than being mystified as to when an exam’s results will come back to you, you’re alerted to every movement.
Some vendors offer more features than others, such as dictation tools so you can use voice recognition for a hands-off reporting process. Analytics are also involved, empowering radiologists with accurate data to strategically plan for the future. And finally, advanced reporting can be imported directly to the local electronic medical records and delivered to any destination via HL7.
Partner With a Cloud-Based Provider of Teleradiology Solutions
At OffSite Image Management, our TeleRAD360 solution considers all the issues healthcare providers have had with teleradiology in the past and solves them. From live chat options to thorough documentation, our solution assists providers who are saddled with outdated platforms and need modern technological solutions aimed at radiology. Furthermore, we provide total exam accountability, giving hospitals the empowered position they’ve long forfeited with outdated teleradiology solutions. Contact us and learn more about our approach to improving the workflow.