Rural healthcare providers deliver services that are critical to their communities. With so many rural hospitals closing down over the last decade (120 according to a study by the Chartis Group), thousands of rural Americans are at risk of limited healthcare options. One way to combat the access issue in the area of radiology, is to seek out teleradiology solutions.
Telehealth Advancements
Developments/advancements in technology have provided unenumerable advantages for providers and their patients. Long-distance patient care, including clinician contact, advice, education, monitoring and intervention, to name a few, has given rural folks the access they need to pursue a better quality of life.
Congress has stepped up to provide funding for telehealth advancements, specifically for services related to telecommunications for virtual care. For those new to the telehealth way of life, this can incentivize a big step forward.
Teleradiology Options in the Cloud
One of the criticisms of telehealth, particularly teleradiology, is that there is little to no accountability in the process. This might be due to some of the outdated platforms that are being held on to by providers who have yet to adopt more advanced technology.
Some of the more advanced telehealth platforms available today are offered via the cloud. Among them are teleradiology offerings that have bridged the accountability gap. The technology is taking steps to go above and beyond, offering more visibility/accountability. This includes important features such as integrated RIS, mobile viewing options, report distribution and voice recognition capabilities.
The focus for the best vendors is to develop tools for analytics, reports, more control and to be HL7-compliant. The mantra is often: “the power is in visibility.” This is important because through visibility, you gain accountability.
Adaptive Solutions
When you partner with OffSite Image Management, you get exam accountability, which means throughout the entire workflow process, you’re clued in to what’s going on. From the order of the exam to the report being delivered to everyone who needs access to it, including to the patient portal, you have knowledge about where your exam is and when you can expect the results.
Priority levels can change in an instant, and without visibility in your teleradiology solution, you’re not going to be able to enact any priority changes on exams. With our TeleRad360 solution, you no longer struggle with gaps, delays and accessibility problems.
For more information about our teleradiology technology, visit our TeleRad360 page.
