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Practice Management: How to Soothe Patient Concerns over Diagnostic Imaging

Being told that you need diagnostic imaging can be scary. Healthcare professionals deal with diagnostic imaging every day, so they may become immune to the concerns of patients.

Still, amidst patients’ fear of diagnostic imaging, healthcare professionals can set their minds at ease.

The main thing to remember is to simply treat your patients like humans. Slow down, treat them with kindness, and really listen to their concerns. Doing these simple things can go a long way in setting your patients’ minds at ease.

What Concerns Do Patients Have About Diagnostic Imaging?

One of the most common concerns amongst patients is the claustrophobia caused by MRI machines. Dealing with the tight space of an MRI machine can be very stressful for patients dealing with claustrophobia and anxiety.

Regarding X-rays, patients are often concerned about their radiation exposure. They fear that the imaging may put them at increased risk for cancer.

Treat Your Patient Like a Person

One of the most common complaints from patients is that they don’t feel like the person working with them is treating them with care and understanding.

talking to your patients — Address the patients concerns

Smile and say hello when you first enter the room. Something as small as a smile can instantly put a person’s mind at ease, especially in a clinical setting that is scary for many patients.

Always refer to the patient by their name. Never refer to them as “the patient” while they are in earshot. Doing so sounds cold, while using their name makes the interaction feel more personal.

Maintain eye contact with your patient. Don’t look at their chart so much that you forget to make them feel like they’re being heard. Eye contact can make them less anxious, especially if they’ve been waiting a long time or have specific fears.

Make sure you sit — standing over a seated patient can be intimidating.

Listen & Understand

Health Management emphasizes how important it is to listen to your patient and ask questions. Let them explain what is going on before you begin to speak. Don’t interrupt them. If they have something to add while you’re talking, allow them to interject and listen to what they say.

Giving your patient space to speak can clarify any confusion on both parts.

After they have finished, reiterate what they’ve said to ensure you understand their concerns. Doing so shows the patient that you are interested in helping them and have respect for their situation. It also ensures that both the patient and healthcare provider are on the same page with treatment going forward.

Also, remember to slow down. Many patients feel that healthcare providers are in a rush, that they’re wasting their time, and that the provider would rather be elsewhere. Patients deserve to feel that their time is valued. Slowing down also helps patients to feel like they are heard and understood.

Watch Your Tone

Patients often come to healthcare providers with sensitive information that can make them feel vulnerable. Health Management encourages professionals to speak to patients with a warm, calm tone of voice. It can do a lot to set their mind at ease. Speaking more slowly can do the same.

Educate Your Patients

Lawrence T. Dauer et al. say professionals should educate their patients. They should know exactly what’s happening during the imaging and what effects the imaging may have on their bodies.

For example, many patients fear how much radiation they’re getting. Explain that they are receiving very little radiation exposure.

Don’t lie to them. Professionals know that repeated exposure, a person’s age, and other factors may increase risk. Patients deserve to know that, but you can set their minds at ease by explaining their risks.

Patients should always have informed consent. They should know precisely what they’re going into and be okay with it. Consent is not just about getting the patient to sign a form. It ensures they are adequately educated about their procedure and entirely on board.

Be Clear

As a healthcare professional, you know a lot of medical and technical jargon that the patient likely does not. Speak straightforwardly, using familiar words. It is crucial that the patient understands what is going on with their treatment.

At the same time, Health Management warns you to be careful not to come across as patronizing. Although patients may not know medical jargon, it doesn’t mean they’re stupid.

Reducing MRI Claustrophobia Concerns

The University of Virginia says the main reason patients are fearful of MRI machines is because they lack understanding of them. Many professionals can ease patients’ minds by informing them that MRI machines are well-lit and open at both ends. They are not closed off and dark, as many patients fear.

patient anxiety — Understand some people may have claustrophobia

Professionals can teach their patients easy breathing and meditation techniques to help keep them calm during the procedure. Another option is to tell them to count to keep their minds busy or to go to their “happy place.”

Provide them with a towel or washcloth they can drape over their eyes so they can’t see what’s going on.

Provide patients with headphones and allow them to listen to their music of choice.

Talk to your patients — about anything — get their minds off the procedure.

Conclusion

Diagnostic imaging can be scary for patients, especially those dealing with anxiety. Medical professionals are critical in setting a patient’s mind at ease, and it’s not hard to do.

Slow down, treat your patients with kindness and respect, and ensure they are properly informed. These simple things can help calm your patients and help you build a lasting professional relationship.

Tele ICU and Tele-Critical Care Trends

Providing the highest quality of patient care remains a primary goal for most doctors and medical professionals. That’s why technologies that allow virtual options are used more and more throughout the healthcare industry. A 2021 research study by Pew Research Center revealed 93% of Americans use the Internet in their homes, which shows the usefulness that virtual medical care for less serious patient needs can provide.

These technological advancements are available in more serious cases as well. Doctors and specialists no longer need to travel to the hospital to provide critical care with Tele-ICU.

What is Tele-ICU?

The American Journal of Medicine defines Tele-ICU, or Telemedicine Intensive Care Unit, as the remote delivery of clinical (critical) care services through audiovisual conferencing technology.” Through this system, doctors can monitor their patients from a distance, allowing them to track vital signs, review medical records, and communicate with the patient’s family. This helps doctors provide more personalized care to their patients and helps them make informed decisions about the patient’s care.

Tele-ICU also helps reduce the number of visits to the hospital, as the patient can be monitored remotely, reducing the risk of infection. Through telemedicine, doctors can be alerted faster of changes in the patient’s condition, allowing them to act quickly and appropriately. Tele-ICU provides better communication between doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers, reducing miscommunications and allowing them to coordinate care more effectively.

5 Ways Telemedicine Benefits Doctors and Patients

So, why do we need tele-icu? Tele-ICU is an invaluable tool for providing better care for intensive care patients. Telemedicine as a whole is an altogether better experience for both the doctor and patients. It’s integrated into the overall care that medical providers give and in most cases is billed the same as a regular in-office visit. Here are five reasons why telemedicine is a beneficial resource:

Telemedicine allows for more efficient communication between doctors and patients, eliminating the need for lengthy office visits.
Telemedicine enables doctors to quickly and easily access medical records from any location, providing more accurate and up-to-date information to make treatment decisions.
Telemedicine enables patients to connect with specialists all over the world, allowing them to access more specialized care.
Telemedicine reduces healthcare costs by eliminating the need for travel, overnight stays, and the use of expensive medical equipment.
Telemedicine helps to reduce the spread of infectious diseases by increasing the use of remote consultations and reducing the need for face-to-face contact.

Advanced Practice Providers

The National Library of Medicine published a study on utilizing advanced practice providers or APPs, to help aid in the current physician shortage by using advanced practice providers for tele-critical and Telehealth services. Yet, even as this solution could benefit several cities without many options for a critical care provider otherwise, as well as save lives, the acceptance of such a program is not as widespread as it could be.

The pandemic pushed remote critical care to the forefront in 2020. Looking toward the future, tele-icu is expected to grow once more medical staff and hospitals decide it is a helpful way to treat their patients.

Teleradiology Companies

Vesta services partners healthcare facilities and hospitals via remote radiology interpretations. Teleradiology helps unburden facilities from the shortage of radiologists as well as assist rural hospitals who may find it difficult to find staff. Learn more about our services and how we seamlessly integrate into your workflow. Contact us today.

Diagnostic Imaging Trends: Point of Care Ultrasound – POCUS

Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is revolutionizing the healthcare industry and changing how doctors prescribe treatment for patients. POCUS is a diagnostic tool that utilizes ultrasound imaging to diagnose, monitor, and guide treatments for medical conditions.

This technology has been around for decades but is presently utilized more broadly throughout the healthcare system. Let’s take a closer look at POCUS and how it transforms patient care.

What Is Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS)?

Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) is an ultrasound-based diagnostic tool used in clinical settings that uses sound waves to create images allowing doctors to see inside the body without having to do surgery or other invasive procedures.

POCUS can detect various medical conditions, such as heart defects, abdominal diseases, vascular diseases, musculoskeletal problems, and gynecological issues. POCUS can also be used in emergency settings to assess a patient’s condition quickly and determine if further intervention or testing is needed.

How Is Point of Care Ultrasound Transforming Healthcare?

One benefit of POCUS is its cost-effectiveness compared with other imaging tests, such as MRI or CT scans, and POCUS does not require expensive equipment as those tests do.

Additionally, it can be done quickly and easily at the point of care, which reduces wait times for patients and increases accuracy in diagnosis, as well as reduces unnecessary treatments or hospital admissions. Furthermore, since it does not use radiation as other imaging tests do, there are no additional health risks associated with this technology, making it safer overall for patients.

Another advantage of POCUS is its ability to provide real-time data about a patient’s condition, which helps doctors make more informed decisions about treatment plans for their patients.

Additionally, because POCUS used in most circumstances does not require special training or expensive equipment, these systems are becoming increasingly available in low-resource areas where access to traditional diagnostic imaging may be limited. This benefit means more people have access to high-quality healthcare regardless of where they live or available resources.

The Gates Foundation recently provided financing to bring 1,000 handheld ultrasound devices to Africa. When low to mid-income nations can improve the accuracy of an efficient diagnosis–local doctors can save more lives.

Since 2012, however, emergency medicine program accreditation requires competency in POCUS. Competency assessment in this field includes demonstrations of technical skill and how it relates to the specific clinical practice.

Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) offers numerous benefits over traditional imaging tests. Its cost-effectiveness allows physicians to provide accurate diagnoses without breaking the bank. In contrast, its portability allows it to reach underserved populations who may not otherwise have access to quality healthcare services.

With further advances in technology coming soon, we could see even more widespread use of this powerful diagnostic tool across all areas of medicine in the near future.

Vesta Teleradiology: At the Forefront of Medical Technology

Vesta believes it is crucial to stay on top of technological trends that can benefit our hospital and healthcare facility partners. Vesta is always at the forefront of technological advances in order to help bring more efficiency and accuracy to imaging and radiological interpretations. For more information about Vesta’s teleradiology services, please contact us today.

The Role of 3D Printing in Radiology

3D printing is an incredible technological tool both in and out of the medical world. Fortunately, this revolutionary technology has opened up an entirely new realm of possibilities for medical professionals to better their patient’s care.

Why Is 3D Printing Important To Medical Professionals?

3D printing has enabled doctors to create models of patients’ organs, tissues, and bones that can show the precise image of the patient’s anatomy, enabling them to make more thorough and accurate diagnoses. This means that diseases can be caught faster, leading to a higher percentage rate of positive outcomes.

These models are helpful to ensure quality by using test treatments on a physical model before trying them on a patient. This can help to reduce the risk of adverse reactions and ensure that the treatment is as effective as possible. In addition, 3D printing can be used to create prosthetic limbs, allowing patients to receive a personalized prosthesis that is custom fit to their body.

Finally, 3D printing is being used to create custom medical implants. Medical implants are used to replace missing or damaged tissue. They are typically made of titanium or other materials, but 3D printing has enabled medical professionals to create custom implants that are specifically designed for each patient. This has improved patient outcomes and allowed doctors to create implants that are more effective than ever before.

3D Printing In Radiology

In an interview for the American College of Radiology, Kenneth C. Wang, MD, Ph.D. said, “the benefit of printing comes from the patient-specific nature of what is depicted. And that almost always starts with imaging. That’s why we, as radiologists, are so well positioned to be at the center of these workflows. We can use our deep understanding of imaging modalities, anatomy, and disease to create models, interpret findings and also to know the limitations of the images, and communicate with other providers.”

3D printing has become an increasingly common and useful tool for radiologists. Because it can be used to create customized models of organs, bones, and other body parts, it gives radiologists a better visualization and understanding of medical conditions that couldn’t be seen before. The in-depth imaging 3D printing provides can also be used to create medical implants, such as scaffolds for bone regeneration and customized joint replacements.

3D-printed models of organs can be used to practice minimally invasive procedures and to create guides for surgeons to follow during operations.

This will help with medical education, allowing students and radiologists to visualize the anatomy and better understand medical conditions. Finally, 3D printing can be used to create patient-specific medical devices, such as hearing aids and prosthetics, to customize them and make them more comfortable for patients.

Conclusion

Overall, 3D printing has revolutionized the world of radiology. It has allowed medical professionals to make more precise and accurate diagnoses, create custom medical devices, create models of organs, tissues, and bones, and create custom medical implants. This technology has enabled doctors to provide better patient care and has improved patient outcomes. With this kind of technology coupled with Artificial Intelligence, the sky is the limit.

Vesta Teleradiology is always looking to new technologies to improve our operations and further assist our clients in accurate and quick interpretations. Please reach out to us to learn about how we customize the process for your healthcare facility’s needs.

The Future of Radiology with 5G

If you’ve been to the doctor’s office, hospital, or any healthcare building recently, you might have noticed an upgrade in technology. Instead of a sign-in sheet, you may have been handed a fingerprint scanner. In lieu of a paper and pen, a nurse may have an iPad or desktop computer to take your medical history. For years, medical offices around the country have already had an online scheduling and note-taking system, so it may not come as a surprise that innovations have reached their way to medical imaging and radiology. 5G technology has made vast improvements in the medical space since 2018, says Imaging Technology News, and will continue to make waves, globally, for years to come.

Advancements with 5G

Ultrasound and telehealth technology has advanced this year with 5G technology, particularly with people who live in remote locations without easy access to hospitals, says Radiology Business. 5G connectivity makes transmission of 4K images and ultrasound images much more efficient and clearer than LTE technology, says the article. Patients who need appointments or images read by medical professionals are able to receive the care they need through telehealth services and remarkably clearer images. In addition to this, 5G technology has helped remotely train the practitioners, who were not radiologists, to take the ultrasound examinations. Having a wider pool of practitioners to perform these tasks is proof that 5G has a promising future in the healthcare community.

Another advancement brought about by 5G technology is biomedical devices, says Applied Sciences. When a patient has an implantable and wearable biomedical device with wireless communication technology, doctors are able to have updates and treatments in real time for those in their care. These devices gather data from sick patients and instantly transmit the progress to a doctor to be checked, remotely. Because of the reliability of a 5G network, life supporting devices are able to work quickly, and without complications of interruption. According to the article, developing the “self-health” systems aided by 5G technology will be critical for the lack of healthcare workers we will experience by 2035.

Looking ahead, Imaging Technology News predicts the 5G networks could be the “catalyst towards smart hospitals;” a center of streamlined systems and information that efficiently carries through the patient experience. Some of those concepts, says the article, includes a smart scheduling system, facial recognition or fingerprint scanners, and multiple imaging transfers between medical professionals. Importantly, too, 5G networks will enable “crosstalk” between medical devices, monitoring devices, and medical records, creating one, integrated system.

There are a lot of predictions about our healthcare system due to so many changes in our world today amidst the COVID, flu, RSV, healthcare worker shortage, and so many other variables. But, here, there is proof of a silver lining. Technology has made it possible to reroute some of these fears and bring some light to some dark statistics. We are on the precipice of new and big developments in our healthcare systems. The future is here and we are excited. Click here to learn more about Vesta’s partnership with MIT for artificial intelligence research.

Top Trends for Radiology and Imaging in 2023

There is no doubt that radiology and imaging will have a few challenges in 2023. With Medicare pay reductions, hospital closures, worker burnout, and a shortage of radiologists, the industry must be creative to continue to provide exceptional patient care.

The industry leaders remain optimistic about their services. There have been more technological advancements, and people are still dedicated to their patients and healthcare. Their efforts are winning combinations for radiology, and they are determined to provide good service despite the challenges.

The current trend for radiology in 2023 will be for more consolidation of radiology practices. Using technology, many urban and outlying hospitals with minimal staffing can transmit information to control centers with professional radiology staffing. The financial burden of training imaging technicians will be, at a minimum allowing the hospital staffing budgets to be used for hands-on patient care.

The Value of Radiology and Imaging

Radiology is a “value-based system” that can reduce medical costs and improve patient outcomes through early disease detection and diagnosis with imaging screening programs. The medical profession, insurance companies, and hospitals recognize this value but struggle with ways to balance their budgets while providing patient care.

Investing in reorganizing the radiology departments has put much of the spendable medical funds to constructive use. The most significant expense for 2023 will be the expansion of artificial intelligence and equipment needed to provide the services.

2023 Equipment, Artificial Intelligence, and Education in Radiology

In November 2022, the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) held its expo in Chicago, Illinois. Over 900 displays on the expo floor showed just a glimpse of the exciting future of radiology and imaging.

Featured equipment at the expo included MRI contrast that uses 50% less gadolinium, CT scanners with improved image resolution–and less noise, X-ray-based imaging systems, and CT scan with superior structural supports and better equipment warranties.

Research and development have also made great strides in new X-ray lung airflow imaging technologies. Also, innovative breast imaging technologies that use ultrasound and elastography may reduce the need for some biopsies.

The FDA has now cleared hundreds of artificial intelligence algorithms that will be able to help radiologists with their workflow. These algorithms are applications that can help lessen worker burnout. Networks can integrate these applications, which allows organizations to work together, distributing workload and expertise efficiently.

Artificial intelligence spans many areas of radiology and imaging. Some of the applications not only improve the productivity of radiologists, but AI tools can improve imaging quality to detect disease and even embolisms or hemorrhages.

Artificial intelligence is making strides in education for radiologists and technicians. Research and Innovation are essential to the integrity of the practice, and artificial intelligence is helping to fulfill the academic needs of the staff.

More to Come

Every year technology advances and enhances healthcare workflows and processes. Most hospitals and clinics still in operation have gone digital, allowing them to operate with advanced equipment and programs designed to provide exceptional patient care.

Radiologists and technicians are still in demand even if the systems incorporate more use of technology. Any radiology shortages can be remedied with the help of established and tech-forward teleradiology companies like Vesta Teleradiology. Education in the radiology and imaging field will need to keep up with the changes to make the technicians better while improving patient diagnoses and patient care.

Vesta Teleradiology Partners with MIT for AI Research

Artificial intelligence is a young field of study that has been growing exponentially as experts try to identify ways to integrate the help of machines to solve human problems. Computer systems have great potential to become facilitators in helping detect cancers and other medical conditions. It is clear that in order to advance our capabilities in patient care, we must embrace AI as it is reshaping the healthcare industry.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has been a pillar in research for the sciences and has been known to provide breakthroughs that benefit our lives.

MIT is in the process of developing an innovative AI Radiology application that will assist radiologists in improving the quality and speed of interpretations. Vesta Teleradiology is honored to partner with the research team in assisting with the development of this project.

Vesta has been working with various universities in supporting their needs and this partnership with MIT is inline with Vesta’s goal of helping further the research in the industry.

Each of the highly skilled Vesta radiologists will be interpreting a batch of randomly selected studies using a pre-set criteria. The interpretations are used to help enhance the algorithm and help its quality in the process. Vesta and MIT teams work very closely to make the project a success. It is through this partnership that Vesta hopes to considerably advance the field of AI in radiology and imaging.

Teleradiology Company

Vesta Teleradiology provides preliminary and final interpretations for imaging studies. They believe it is crucial to incorporate new technologies into their offerings to provide efficient solutions for healthcare providers, from hospitals to private physicians and even universities. Being at the forefront of medical advancements is part of the Vesta philosophy.

MIT is a technological innovator and is leading this effort in radiology. The contract between Vesta and MIT is sure to be one to help advance the future of medicine.

About Vesta:

Vesta exists to make life better for their healthcare facility clients and their patients through efficient teleradiology services and seamless systems integrations.

Advancements in Imaging: Colorectal Cancer

In the past, colorectal cancer was familiar as a disease to affect the older generation. However, advancements in treating and detecting colorectal cancer have shown the risk is prevalent in those younger, too. Now more than ever, screening tests are important so treatment can start sooner for better outcomes.

What Is Colorectal Cancer?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines Colon cancer as “a disease in which cells in the colon or rectum grow out of control.” The rectum can develop polyps, with some growing in size. Those larger polyps can turn into cancerous ones. Smaller polyps rarely form a malignant growth.

How Is Rectal Cancer Treated?

Doctors stress the importance of recognizing the early symptoms of colorectal cancer and getting regular screenings to check it before it spreads. “If the patient is diagnosed with a stage one or localized cancer, where it’s just in the colon and hasn’t moved elsewhere in the body, it’s about 90% curative just with surgery,” Dr. Paula Denoya, director of the Colorectal Surgery Residency Program at Stony Brook Medicine told NBC news.

The first step for doctors to create a treatment plan for colon cancer is by finding what stage the cancer is in. Medical advancements in imaging have allowed this process to be more thorough and quicker to detect the area and size of cancer. The recent death of Kirstie Alley brought more attention to colorectal cancer since doctors shared this was the cause of her death. Unfortunately, Alley’s family said she had only found cancer shortly before her untimely death Monday. She died at 71 years of age.

How Imaging Helps With Colorectal Cancer Detection

Diagnostic imaging allows doctors to see what the insides of the colon are doing, which will point out if any tumors are more than benign. Newer imaging procedures give doctors an even closer look at the rectal and surrounding areas in the body.

Endoscopic ultrasounds are more invasive than routine colonoscopies. While both are meant to detect and/or provide a more thorough diagnosis, endoscopic ultrasounds go even further, using sound waves that go back and forth off of the inner body. This provides a detailed picture that doctors can study to see how rectal cancer has progressed or lessened if additional treatments were already in the queue.

Endoscopic ultrasounds have two types; upper and lower endoscopic ultrasounds. Lower endoscopic ultrasounds deal with the parts of the body in the rectum to examine tumors closely. Doctors will use an endoscopic ultrasound after other imaging screenings show potential for malignant tumors. It gives doctors the ability to treat cancer with a more reliable decision.

CT scans are another way doctors find and diagnose what stage the cancer in the colon is at. However, endoscopic ultrasounds have a higher percentage of precisely showing what stage the cancer is in.

Additional Imaging Diagnostics For Colon Cancer

A newer technique of diagnostic imaging is molecular imaging. Molecular imaging projects a picture of the cells in the body and their activity. This means doctors can see more information about a mass before it gets worse. If a tumor is present, many times before symptoms begin to aggravate a patient, this technology is able to see that cancer in the beginning stages.

Molecular imaging uses positron emission tomography or (PET) technology. A mixture, called a radioactive, is injected into the blood, and omits an image of the patient’s molecules and/or cells. If cells are numerous, this may mean colorectal cancer has spread.

Staying on top of sudden changes in the bowels, appetite, and illness is key in fighting to stop colorectal cancers before they grow larger. Regular screenings can catch otherwise undetected cancer. The advancements that technology has granted the medical world has saved more lives. The important part is ensuring these technologies are used.

Vesta Teleradiology: At the Forefront of Scientific Advancements

Vesta Teleradiology is a tech-forward teleradiology company, assisting various healthcare facilities with preliminary and final interpretations. If you’re seeking someone to fill your gaps, like nights and weekends, please contact us: 877-558-3782

What is a Smart Hospital?

Today’s smart hospital is not just a paperless organization with digitized charting. Although being digitized is an excellent start to a smart hospital, the process is much more advanced.

The goal of a smart hospital is better patient care while streamlining operational efficiency and costs. Three essential layers need to be addressed by a hospital to achieve the classification of a “smart” facility.

Step 1–Operations

Even though all hospitals gather information about their patients, operations, and management, a smart hospital takes gathering data to a different level.

In a smart hospital, analytic systems and software integrate all the information utilized by doctors, nurses, facility personnel, and administrators. A desktop, smartphone, or handheld device can access this information, resulting in faster, more efficient decision-making by key people.

With automated systems, the management of staff, pharmaceuticals, supplies, consumables inventory, assets, equipment, patients, and even visitors is controllable by the appropriate hospital teams. The process is cost-saving and efficient for the hospital and the patient.

To achieve these network-based services, hospitals with a large traffic volume and frequent environmental changes best utilize 5G or Wi-Fi 6 technology which is a step up for most hospital internet access.

Step 2–Clinical Tasks

The doctors’ and nurses’ efficiency depends on communication with departments like critical care, surgical, and technical (lab and X-ray) services.

A smart hospital improves patient outcomes by utilizing remote monitoring tools. Medical professionals can immediately monitor a patient’s vital signs, steps, heart rates, allergies, and lab results. The added communication also allows more patient input about likes, dislikes, and comfort zones. Smart hospitals will also utilize teleradiology services like Vesta in order to process more imaging interpretations remotely and efficiently.

INSIDE CANADA’S FIRST SMART HOSPITAL

Step 3-Patient Care

A patient’s room is very different within a smart hospital. A patient can access help through voice-based interactive devices to dim the lights, call a nurse, request pain medication, or make phone calls to loved ones—no more worries about a dropped call button on the floor.

The smart hospital design focuses on enhancing the healing process for faster recoveries by featuring open spaces and gardens. Children can also have specially designed areas for their comfort.

Caring robots in hospitals are providing added support in the facilities. Smart hospitals have programmed robots to perform surgeries; provide dementia care for the elderly; provide biofeedback for patient anxiety; transport supplies, blood, medication, meals, and garbage.

automation — Robots are reshaping hospitals

Hospitals have also programmed robots to provide care in quarantine isolation booths or entertain hospitalized children for a more positive emotional experience.

The Future

The future of smart hospital strategies is endless. The hospital environment and opportunities will continue to expand for the cost and convenience benefits of the hospital operations and its patients. The hospital will be able to extend most of the “smart” gifts to the patient’s home.

Patients will be able to take home smartwatches and other monitoring equipment for continued hospital care. More utilization of mobile monitoring equipment will allow the hospital to operate as intended–for emergencies, surgeries, and intensive care units–and will enable the patient to recover safely in the comfort of their home. And even more exciting is the future use of Artificial Intelligence to further enhance the benefits of the smart hospital.

The Benefits of Teleradiology for Hospitals

The many benefits of teleradiology have become increasingly important to urban and rural hospitals. Not only has the service greatly improved patient care, but it has also been a tremendous cost-saving for hospitals.

Teleradiology transmits X-rays and other diagnostic images from one location to another. The transmission allows medical information to be interpreted or consulted by specialists in the medical field practically anywhere in the world.

Many medical specialists reside and practice in large cities where the need for their services is in the highest demand. Also, hospitals and research centers in larger populated areas provide more financial support for radiologists’ services and resources, which can increase their productivity and field of study.

Better Patient Care

Teleradiology has torn down social, economic, age-related, and physical barriers to a patient’s ability to receive the best diagnostic care in the shortest possible time. Hospitals near and far have been able to do this by supporting their patients in implementing teleradiology services.

A patient does not need to travel great distances at enormous expense for expert diagnostic opinions any longer. Plus, delayed diagnoses can be critical to a patient’s health and well-being. With teleradiological services, a patient can receive an expert opinion within a short period from their location.

Teleradiology has enhanced a hospital’s emergency care by accessing a cooperating radiologist’s 24-hour/7 days per week availability. Before the technology was available, emergency room staff would need to wake up radiologists at home and request their presence in the hospital. Then the report may not be available for several days.

ambulance — Teleradiology can greatly enhance emergency care services

Patients can obtain a second opinion for their diagnosis much easier now with teleradiology. A hospital can send records anywhere worldwide at a patient’s request.

It also does not matter the hospital’s social or economic environmental location because all hospitals with the internet have access to highly valued diagnosticians.

Cost Benefits of Teleradiology

One of the most obvious cost benefits of teleradiology services for a hospital is the reduction–and sometimes the elimination–of radiologists. Hospitals can use allotted financial budgets for hands-on patient care.

With the cost savings of reduced staff, the hospital can also invest more money into the equipment for MRIs, CT scans, ultrasound, and digital X-ray equipment. More quality equipment can enhance the teleradiology process with better diagnostic tools for radiologists.

When hospitals access teleradiology services, the services charge by the radiological exam. Each consult with a radiologist is a case-by-case situation–much less expensive than having a full-time employed radiologist.

Other Benefits to the Hospitals

All hospitals rely on medical professionals collaborating to provide the best diagnoses for their patients. With teleradiology, distance for this collaboration is not a factor. Specialists can affect patient care by providing input to local hospital staff for diagnosis and care planning.

For a hospital’s staff, collaboration becomes education. The learning possibilities for teleradiology are endless, and the hospital team is learning from the best to become the best.

Hospitals have benefited from teleradiology tremendously over the past few years. The technology for this service is advancing rapidly and will continue to change the business of patient care for hospitals worldwide.

Radiology Services for Hospitals from Vesta

No matter your facility’s size or location, Vesta offers comprehensive teleradiology services to hospitals. Look to us for efficiency, accuracy and competitive pricing. Please reach out to us to learn more about how we integrate with your current workflow.