Teleradiology is the electronic transmission of medical imaging (computed tomography, MRI, X-ray, etc.) from one location to another, making them available for interpretation/consultation by radiologists who are not present at the place where the examination was performed.
Teleradiology, like any other branch of telemedicine, owes its birth to the imbalance between supply and demand. In this case, the imbalance of diagnostic services and qualified radiologists in distant places, which gave rise to Teleradiology as a measure to offer quality radiology services anywhere and at any time.
This innovation has led to a reduction in the workload of radiologists, faster response times for patients and reduced costs for hospitals with 24-hour services. In this scenario, teleradiology offers the solution for the availability of radiologists 24 hours a day.
Teleradiology allows radiologists to create dynamic groups for synchronous or asynchronous cooperation, in order to provide accurate and rapid diagnoses to patients.
Check out 5 benefits of teleradiology
1. Quick Diagnosis
Teleradiology offers near-instant visualization of medical imaging results. This allows medical practices and hospitals to provide better patient care, allowing them to diagnose and treat a patient more quickly and efficiently.
2. Cost Reduction
Teleradiology eliminates the need for radiologists to travel to where the patient’s image was captured. This allows radiologists to work virtually anywhere, remotely, without compromising the quality of the diagnosis. The cost will be saved by not having to hire a full-time in-house radiologist.
3. Offering specialized services
Many hospitals and doctors’ offices are facing shortages in their radiology team, especially during holidays and night shifts. Teleradiology makes it easier to perform in these scenarios because radiologists do not need to be in place to view and interpret images. This saves time and allows them to perform their functions more efficiently.
4. Healthcare improvement outside large urban centers
Teleradiology enables specialized diagnoses in any region, and allows hospitals to expand service delivery in medical imaging without the need for 24-hour staffing. Hospitals and small clinics can easily send exams to groups of radiologists, and receive diagnosis quickly and efficiently.
5. Specialized services any time
Teleradiology makes possible to provide specialized services on weekends, 24 hour emergency and holidays.