As medical costs have risen, medical facilities are trying to use technology to help keep costs down. Government programs have only made things more expensive, and lessened the availability of property healthcare for many people. Technological innovation is bringing us option, such as teleradiology services.
We have all seen radiology bills, both on our itemized charges as well as separate bills that come when we have been in a hospital. Not everyone realizes that radiology encompasses basically all imaging techniques from x-rays to CT scans. Even fewer patients realize that these images are nearly always sent to an off-site location to be evaluated by a properly trained professional.
Traditionally, private practice doctors have had to send the physical x-ray images to an offsite radiology service. This means that the results of x-rays or MRIs done in-house must take several days. This is why broken bone patients are generally sent to a hospital before a fixed reduction can be performed.
Few private medical practices are big enough, or wealthy enough to keep a radiologist on site 24-7. In fact, many hospitals have trouble affording to have radiologists on staff since the cost can exceed $1,000.00 per day. By sending the images to an offsite service, via online technology, a professional radiologist can evaluate the images and send a report within hours of the images being taken, allowing for ORIF surgery to be performed right away.
Radiologists who specialize in ultrasound technology are often on their own in an OB/GYN office. There are instances where the radiologist may wish to have a second set of eyes on the images he or she is taking, and that person needs this to be available in real time since the measurements and general evaluation of the ultrasound is done in real time. We now have the technology to allow this to happen.
This is great news for pregnant mothers, patients with multiple fractures or internal injuries, or even cardiac patients. Time is of the essence in many of these cases. By having the results of internal imaging available right away, other specialists can be brought in more quickly to perform life-saving surgeries, or any other procedures before additional damage can occur to the body while they wait.
Online radiology services mean real-time evaluations can be done at smaller facilities or small-town hospitals. It also means expert evaluation is there for those in third world countries, or anyone being assisted by the Doctors Without Borders ship. The radiologists themselves are on-call for long periods of time, but they are otherwise able to live where they like, and can sometimes even work from home.
These services are charging hospitals by the image rather than by the day, and the savings is measured in the thousands of dollars. It is typical for an image evaluation to be charged at less than $100.00 per image. Patients should know whether or not their hospital is being charged per-image or by the day, and pay close attention to the radiology bills that come in to be certain that the savings is passed on to them.
We have all seen radiology bills, both on our itemized charges as well as separate bills that come when we have been in a hospital. Not everyone realizes that radiology encompasses basically all imaging techniques from x-rays to CT scans. Even fewer patients realize that these images are nearly always sent to an off-site location to be evaluated by a properly trained professional.
Traditionally, private practice doctors have had to send the physical x-ray images to an offsite radiology service. This means that the results of x-rays or MRIs done in-house must take several days. This is why broken bone patients are generally sent to a hospital before a fixed reduction can be performed.
Few private medical practices are big enough, or wealthy enough to keep a radiologist on site 24-7. In fact, many hospitals have trouble affording to have radiologists on staff since the cost can exceed $1,000.00 per day. By sending the images to an offsite service, via online technology, a professional radiologist can evaluate the images and send a report within hours of the images being taken, allowing for ORIF surgery to be performed right away.
Radiologists who specialize in ultrasound technology are often on their own in an OB/GYN office. There are instances where the radiologist may wish to have a second set of eyes on the images he or she is taking, and that person needs this to be available in real time since the measurements and general evaluation of the ultrasound is done in real time. We now have the technology to allow this to happen.
This is great news for pregnant mothers, patients with multiple fractures or internal injuries, or even cardiac patients. Time is of the essence in many of these cases. By having the results of internal imaging available right away, other specialists can be brought in more quickly to perform life-saving surgeries, or any other procedures before additional damage can occur to the body while they wait.
Online radiology services mean real-time evaluations can be done at smaller facilities or small-town hospitals. It also means expert evaluation is there for those in third world countries, or anyone being assisted by the Doctors Without Borders ship. The radiologists themselves are on-call for long periods of time, but they are otherwise able to live where they like, and can sometimes even work from home.
These services are charging hospitals by the image rather than by the day, and the savings is measured in the thousands of dollars. It is typical for an image evaluation to be charged at less than $100.00 per image. Patients should know whether or not their hospital is being charged per-image or by the day, and pay close attention to the radiology bills that come in to be certain that the savings is passed on to them.
About the Author:
You can get a summary of the things to consider before picking a provider of teleradiology services at http://www.spot-on-radiologist.com/services right now.