Radiology concerned with the transmission of
digitized medical images (as X rays, CT scans, and
sonograms) over electronic networks and with the
interpretation of the transmitted images for
diagnostic purposes
Teleradiology of radiological patient images,
such as x-rays, CTs, and MRIs, from one location to
another for the purposes of interpretation and/or
consultation. Radiologists are increasingly a scarce
resource the world over given that imaging
procedures are growing significantly annually
against an increase of only less than 10% in the
Radiologist population
Teleradiology improves patient care by
allowing Radiologists to provide services without
actually having to be at the location of the
patient. This is particularly key when a sub
specialist such as a MRI Radiologist,
Neuroradiologist, Pediatric Radiologist, or
Musculoskeletal Radiologist is needed as these
professionals are generally only located in large
metropolitan areas working during day time hours.
Teleradiology allows for trained specialists to be
available 24/7
Teleradiology network is performed using
standard network technologies such as the internet,
telephone lines, wide area network (WAN), or over a
local area network (LAN). Highly specialized
software (PACS) is used to transmit the images and
enable the Radiologist to effectively analyze what
can be 100's of images for a given study.
Technologies such as advanced graphics processing,
voice recognition, and image compression are often
used in Teleradiology. Through Teleradiology, images
can be sent to another part of the hospital, or to
other locations around the world.
Teleradiologists can provide a Preliminary
Read for emergency room purposes or a Final Read for
the official patient record and for use in billing.
Teleradiology Preliminary Reports can be provided
for emergent studies.
Preliminary Reports include all pertinent findings
and a phone call for any critical findings. For some
Teleradiology services, the turnaround time is
extremely quick with a 30 minute standard turnaround
and expedited for critical and stroke studies.
Teleradiology Final Reports can be provided
for emergent and non-emergent studies. Final reports
include all findings and require access to prior
studies and all relevant patient information for a
complete diagnosis. Phone calls with any critical
findings are signs of quality services.
Teleradiology Preliminary or Final Reports
can be provided for all doctors and hospitals
overflow studies. Teleradiology can be available for
intermittent coverage as an extension of practices
and will provide patients with the highest quality
care.
Teleradiology systems must also be HIPAA
compliant, which helps to ensure patients’ privacy.
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996) is a uniform, federal
floor of privacy protections for patients and
consumers. It limits the ways that entities can use
patients’ personal information and protects the
privacy of all medical information no matter what
form it is in. Quality teleradiology must abide by
important HIPAA rules to ensure patients’ privacy is
protected
Source: Wikepedia. www.wikepedia.com
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