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Teleradiology

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Key Points

Teleradiology has had a major impact in decreasing report turnaround time, and in improving service levels in the emergency setting.
Teleradiology in the emergency setting is usually associated with a strong peer review and quality assurance process. It has generated a cadre of specialised generalists, who excel in acute care interpretation. Hence report quality is enhanced.
By using the centralised reading room coupled with the night-day model, radiologist productivity is increased and healthcare costs are reduced.
In the emergency setting, communication levels between clinicians and radiologists remain high, commensurate with on-site radiology.
The cons are related to insufficient adherence to regulations, corporatisation and predatory practices, which are economic and investor-driven rather than in the interests of patient care. Insufficient clinical history and large imaging datasets present a challenge.

Teleradiology is today a word, which epitomises innovation in healthcare, symbolises efficiency in healthcare delivery, and represents a significant success story within the overall spectrum of telemedicine. From its early and fledgling days not much more than a decade ago, it has grown into a billion dollar industry, which has been the subject of business case studies at academic institutions while simultaneously providing significant value to patients, physicians, radiologists and entire healthcare systems.

Nowhere has teleradiology made greater impact than in the setting of emergency care, and it is this aspect that forms the focus of this article.