Teleradiology Could Become Standard
Going forward, there is general agreement in the industry that working remotely will become a standard part of the new normal in radiology — at least to some extent.
At Collaborative Imaging, based in Plano, TX, a physician-owned alliance of more than 500 radiologists from around the country, CEO Dhruv Chopra said the pandemic is forcing radiology practices to be more technologically focused and driven.
Since the company’s 2018 inception, a team of more than 55 software engineers has delivered state-of-the art-solutions that have been key to enabling physicians and health care systems adjust to remote reading as the new normal.
“Some health care systems our physicians serve have historically been resistant to working remotely, largely due to concerns about lack of control or availability of referring physicians,” Chopra said. “But since the pandemic, the efficient workflow processes and improvements realized through working remotely has changed attitudes.”
Among other benefits, expanding teleradiology services has resulted in a reduction in turnaround time since readings aren’t limited to onsite radiologists. “The average turnaround time is eight minutes,” Chopra said.
Studies are routed not only to the most appropriate radiologist, but also to the physician immediately available to read the study. The organization has also seen a marked improvement in communication among physicians using one-touch teleconferencing solutions to review studies in real time.
“The genie is out of the bottle,” Chopra said. “I don’t think we’re going back to the days where we were limited by the boundaries of a hospital.”
Dr. Luker said that there will still be a need for radiologists to have a physical presence in hospitals. Radiologists across many subspecialties perform procedures or hands-on diagnostic scanning studies. And an in-person presence also helps foster teamwork among faculty, staff and trainees and boosts morale for staff who must work on site.
“But many radiology departments and practices have invested heavily in terms of technology to enable a remote work environment,” Dr. Luker said. “Purchases of at-home workstations and teleradiology tools aren’t going away as many institutions continue expanding capabilities for remote image interpretations. For institutions, shifting some workers to home settings reduces parking congestion, and eliminating commuting time and expense while still providing clinical care is satisfying to many radiologists.”
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