Technology Leads to Work Overload & Increased Use of Teleradiology

Over the years, radiology has moved from a mode of treatment used only for a few medical areas to a discipline involved in the treatment of several diseases. This has been made possible mainly by technology. New imaging tools made it possible to access such areas of the human body as were not possible earlier making radiological contribution the foundation of uncountable number treatments.

But, although from a pure healthcare standpoint this phenomenon has been among the best things to happen, its impact mayn’t be as desirable on various aspects of the radiology industry. Firstly, it has meant more investment in infrastructure for medical outfits involved in radiology. This investment is high and of recurring nature as imaging tools don’t take long to become obsolete getting replaced by either a completely new technology or new devices offering better features relegating as a result the existing devices to be obsolete.

Technology has also had more direct impact on radiology. Today radiology has become the starting point of many more treatments than in the past and this has meant more workload or more number of procedures per radiologist leading to a shortfall of radiologists, in the US. Some figures will bear this out. From 2000 to 2003 total imaging in the US increased by 23 percent, much higher than the recorded increase from 1998 to 2000. However, surprisingly, in the years following 2003 the shortage was found to have eased out, instead of increasing, as was expected. 

Studies say this could be due to a combination of three possibilities:  

With the passage of time workload per radiologist became less than was expected- There is enough data to reveal that this has not happened. Instead of a decrease in workload, there has been a considerable increase in it with passage of years. 

More radiologists joined the radiology stream- Being a demanding specialty, radiology, especially in the US, requires a lot of qualifications, both technical and regulatory in nature and, of course, a long period of time (about five years) to acquire them. Which rules out the possibility that enough candidates would have covered the entire cycle of qualification, joined the radiology industry and become efficient enough to check the shortage.

More work completed per radiologist- This, in essence, talks about productivity per person. Productivity may have increased due to technology but even in an environment of complete homogeneity, productivity varies from person to person and the collective variance becomes wider with the increase in number of procedures each radiologist performs. Given this, productivity is a slippery slope to base your assumption on.  

The missing link here is teleradiology which had found a boost due to the Internet around 1996 and which grew into a more widely-accepted-industry practice in the early years of the previous decade. 

Teleradiology has helped the radiology industry to tide over the shortage by helping physicians and clinics to outsource the diagnostic part of imaging procedure, leverage round the clock service by taking up more imaging work and improving revenues and find access to qualified radiologists. However, teleradiology has – and not without reasons – come in for criticism for lack of quality in diagnosis and for being, to some extent, responsible for introduction of HIPPA (to ensure privacy of medical data).

SearchRadiologist brings together all the aspects of a complete radiology solution starting a robust, multilayered quality program to check quality of images; their compliance with HIPPA; accuracy of diagnosis (which is done by radiologists consulting a panel of experts if required); and submission of processed images via appropriate software platforms ensuring complete data protection.  

Growth in Teleradiology & Its Feasibility in Today’s Changing Healthcare Environment

The growth of teleradiology can be attributed to the post dot.com boom, emergence of Health IT, and to the health reforms that aim to cut costs of healthcare at the same time delivering quality care. Teleradiology has faced criticism and opposition due to a paradigm shift in the way radiology services were carried out traditionally. Moreover, such an endeavor that permits radiologists to diagnose and interpret data from an offsite location has, to a certain extent, worried even the advocates of Health IT and ‘Obamacare”. A simple Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis can help clear the air regarding teleradiology and its usefulness, feasibility and security of information.

Strengths

The biggest strength of teleradiology is that it reduces the amount of time spent by radiologists in hospitals which has been traditionally 24/7 and at the same time assists hospitals and rural clinics in obtaining speedy diagnosis. This is extremely critical in the light of the fact that 31 million uninsured Americans are soon going to be covered which will put immense pressure on resources and physicians. Moreover, in an era of digital revolution, further progress is expected in the field of radiology in order to accommodate the high demand for radiology services. However, the biggest strength of teleradiology lies in the fact that it benefits providers as well as patients and saves time thus assisting in augmenting the quality of the service received by the patient.

Weaknesses

Experts have expressed concerns about safety and HIPAA compliance, accuracy and authenticity of radiologists since data is interpreted at an offsite location and is not monitored, and due to reimbursement delays from Medicare in such cases. However, these concerns have mostly sprung from the fact that extensive use of IT is being made on an unprecedented scale. Moreover, since it has been proven that data can be safely transmitted and analyzed and interpreted when it comes to other departmental processes such as medical billing and coding, medical transcription, and other financial services, concerns over privacy and authenticity seem exaggerated.

Opportunities

The biggest advantage of teleradiology is that the high demand for such services can be easily accommodated without any more sacrifices by already overworked radiologists. Furthermore, the quality of care would drastically improve when teleradiology is fully implemented on a national scale since a large percentage of radiology diagnosis is carried out by non-radiologists due to lack of supply and the ever increasing demand for these services. The opportunities that teleradiology provides are holistic in nature since all the parties involved stand to benefit from such use of cutting edge technology to improve care and cut costs without sacrificing the remuneration that providers receive. Hospitals and clinics can financially benefit by eliminating part-time positions that are make-shift in nature and drain finances in the long run without providing adequate support.

Threats

Teleradiology can be seen as a threat to local practices but with dramatic increase in demands for diagnostic radiology this threat can be eliminated. The fear of outsourcing overseas which may lead to HIPAA non-compliance is another concern that is usually expressed but with technology such as voice recognition and other security measures, this threat too can be eliminated. The biggest threat for the adoption of teleradiology is resistance to change and policies that may dramatically increase the demand and at the same time make it difficult for providers to e properly reimbursed.

Teleradiology is here to stay and is already being adopted and improved upon by technicians and physicians and can be useful in Health Professional Shortage Areas, rural clinics, and ERs across the nation. The essence of teleradiology lies in the fact that it facilitates speedy diagnosis which improves the quality of the outcome and does not put pressure on resources and at the same time makes the radiologist’s job easier and more efficient. As new avenues are found in the Health IT sector, teleradiology is also set to benefit from it in the future and holds real promise in terms of pecuniary gains for all the parties involved and augmentation of the quality of the care that is provided irrespective of the location.

Teleradiology Demand Increases with Growing Usage of Ultrasound Technology

There was a time when Ultrasounds were synonymous only with pre-natal care, but with recent advances in Ultrasound technology and its application in healthcare delivery, all that is fast changing, which is also spurring on the increasing growth in radiology & teleradiology.

Not only has Ultrasound emerged as a potent diagnostic tool for cardiologists, orthopedic surgeons and emergency care physicians, increasing the scope for radiologists,  it has also revolutionized the way non-invasive surgeries are carried out today.

This revolution in the area of diagnostic healthcare & radiology can be partially attributed to the technological advancement in ultrasound equipment:

• Not only are modern ultrasound machines more compact and portable, they also allow for higher resolution and real-time imaging
• In some cases, they are used in lieu of more cumbersome procedures like MRI and CT Scans since they do not emit harmful radiation and are safer for pregnant women and patients with pacemakers
• The ‘instant’ factor coupled with comfort for the patients, is only adding to the popularity of ultrasound as a preferred diagnostic tool

Wider scope of work

Recent strides in the field of ultrasound and radiology has resulted in a wider scope of work for radiologists – which is certainly favorable news, since they now have more opportunities for employment and earning

At the same time, with the demand for well-trained and licensed radiologists skyrocketing, many healthcare establishments, both public and private, are struggling to cope up with the steady influx of ultrasound cases each day

Moreover, the growing popularity of hand-held and ultra-portable ultrasound machines has made it possible for radiologists to operate beyond the confines of their diagnostic centers. Many hospitals now hire radiologists from the same city or geographical area on a need basis to effectively tackle the workflow and provide speedy services to their patients

Teleradiology a Solution

Where there is a problem, an innovative solution cannot be too far behind. Tele-radiology has stepped in to fill in the deficit as more and more hospitals and independent radiology centers have begun to outsource their radiology work to independent practitioners.These practitioners operate from remote locations, with some based in the same city and others, twelve time zones away.

Teleradiology has obvious advantages for hospitals, radiologists and healthcare consumers alike:

• Hospitals are able delegate the excess work effectively, thus cutting costs involved in hiring a full-time radiologist or investing in new equipment
• A whole new revenue stream opens up for Radiologists, who have ample opportunity to take on freelance work and augment their income
• Since radiologists are located in different countries, continents and time zones, it is possible to arrange for 24/7 emergency ultrasound services
• Shortage of qualified and competent radiologist no more a barrier to optimum healthcare delivery

Credible platforms that aim to bring radiologists and healthcare facilities together may present a tangible solution to tackle the growing demand for the former and enhancing the quality of healthcare delivery.

Search Radiologists, serving A-Z in radiology is providing radiology solutions to healthcare entities for over a decade now, offering in house radiology along with teleradiology solutions with technology-enabled platforms that are geared to bridge the demand-supply gap between health care facilities and qualified radiologists. Search Radiologist services all 50 states in the US and allows healthcare facilities to look up licensed and board-certified radiologists for in-house or out-house outsourcing.