Radiology outsourcing supports emergency room diagnostic needs.
Radiology is the study of the human body using radiation and X-ray technology to see inside the body. Radiology practitioners deploy technology such as ultrasound, nuclear medicine and magnetic resonance imaging. In recent years, hospitals outsource the review and interpretation of some radiology images to offshore physicians. This practice is called teleradiology.
Identification
Teleradiology is the transmission of radiology images from one place to another for the purpose of review by remotely located radiologists. The transmission process requires an imaging transmission station, a transmission network and an image receiving station at the final destination.
Purpose
U.S. hospitals outsource radiology tasks to India primarily to take advantage of the time zone difference so they can get real time and immediate interpretation of images. This is especially valuable during nights and weekends in support of emergency room situations.
Considerations
In addition to time zones and emergency room benefits, U.S. hospitals outsource to India because the radiology work load is increasing faster than the number of radiologists, U.S. radiologist are more expense, there is a long waiting list of people waiting for radiology results and, given budget constraints, the radiology departments in some U.S. hospitals are underfunded and declining.
Considerations
Radiologists who serve U.S. teleradiology needs in India and other offshore locations often have a U.S. medical license and carry malpractice insurance.
Tags: emergency room, hospitals outsource, radiology images
