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.

hospital radiology
An x-ray of a head

 

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.

hospitals

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.

 

Ovarian Cancer: Encouraging Patients to Get Screened

It’s a topic not many people enjoy talking about, or even thinking about. Cancer, of any kind, is complicated, and ovarian cancer is, arguably, one of the most complicated and aggressive cancers there is. About 20% of women receive an early diagnosis, and of those detected early, 94% live longer than 5 years after their diagnosis, says the American Cancer Society. Encouraging patients to get screened for early detection, paying attention to the body’s signals, and regular exams are the biggest defenses we have against this deadly disease.

 

Ovarian cancer is difficult to detect, which is why it is paramount for patients to have regular pelvic exams. To help encourage patients to get the proper care for early detection, or with a new diagnosis, empower them with communication so they feel in charge, says Cancer Care. Suggesting the patient takes notes of the session will help, says the article, including dates, names, and discussion points. This will provide physical evidence of what went on during the appointment and a reference point for the possibly overwhelmed patient. Bringing a trusted friend or family member to the appointment can also ease the possible isolation or fear the patient may have. Another set of eyes and ears never hurts and the extra person may provide different questions and concerns the patient hadn’t thought of. Encouraging patients to write down questions or worries they may have before, during or after the appointment also gives the control back to the patient, says the article.

 

Persistent symptoms, even seemingly dismissible, should be examined. The fact is that ovarian cancer moves quickly, so before symptoms become worrisome, it’s important the patient knows her family history, says the American Cancer Society. If the patient has a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer, has an inherited genetic syndrome, like Lynch syndrome, or a gene mutation such as BRCA, her high risk status must be presented and she must be heavily encouraged to get regular exams and to pay close attention to any changes within her body.

 

cancer awareness

 

The two most common screening tests for ovarian cancer are the transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) and the CA-125 blood test, says American Cancer Society. The sound waves used during a TVUS detects abnormal shapes or measurements, says Healthline, and is about 75% effective, which is why you may order at CT scan, MRI, or a biopsy for further testing, says the article. The CA-125 blood test is not as reliable for ovarian cancer detection because high levels of the protein may not be an indicator of ovarian cancer, per se, but of inflammatory disease or endometriosis. Unfortunately, there aren’t many sure and simple tests to detect early ovarian cancer or recommend for your patient, says the CDC. Keeping your patients aware of these options may seem alarming, but they’ll know what to expect should the concern arise.

 

Telling your patients about genetic counseling is also a good option, says WebMd. For your high risk patients, genetic counseling will give them more concrete knowledge about their own bodies and family history. Should the patient’s test come back positive of a gene mutation, you will be aware of her risks and what to look out for during exams.

 

encourage your patients to get screened

 

Whether your patient is at high risk of ovarian cancer or not, urge them to consider regular exams and screening. There is research being done currently, says American Cancer Society, although the best and most proven way is through ultrasound and the CA-125 blood test. Reminding them you are always available if something in their body feels off, if they are in pain, or have been worried, is never a bad idea. Empower them to take charge of their health.

Teleradiology Interpretations for TVUS

Managing a healthcare practice means providing optimal care for your patients, and that includes providing the proper education and addressing patient concerns. We understand it is not always easy to balance running tests, interpretations and patient communication. That’s why Vesta has a team of US Board Certified radiologists who work with your team for preliminary and final interpretations – 24×7, nights, weekends and even holidays. Please contact us to learn more about our outsourced radiology services: 1-877-55-VESTA. 

Differences Between Preliminary and Final Radiology Interpretations  

A radiology report interprets images into words. The requesting physician who requests the radiology reports recommends treatment to their patient based on the findings a radiologist provides in these reports. A patient’s understanding of preliminary or final radiology interpretations is critical in treatment decisions.

An on-call radiology resident or technician may be issuing the preliminary radiology report at a hospital emergency room or an urgent care facility. A physician may need to act on the findings of this initial report before a final interpretation by the radiological physician overseeing the resident or technician.

Studies have shown a minimal discrepancy rate when physicians review the preliminary report with the final findings. A few factors, like the imaging technique and the technician’s experience level, account for most modifications in the final reports.

Why Have Preliminary Radiology Interpretation?

Hospital funding in rural areas and 24-hour urgent care facilities cannot always afford an on-staff radiology physician, and they rely on teleradiology interpretations. However, if a patient in pain arrives at the facility, the physician needs immediate information on how to proceed with the patient’s treatment.

 

preliminary reading
A radiologist examines an x-ray

An example may be if the patient complains about severe abdominal pain. The physician must rely on the technician’s preliminary report defining acute appendicitis and perform emergency surgery. Another example may be a possible stroke victim brought into the facility. The physician cannot wait for a final report to make a life-saving decision with the patients.

Radiologist Physician Expertise for a Final Report

Few people understand the extensive education and dedication a Radiologist Physician undergoes during their career. They graduate from medical school, complete their internships and residency requirements, and interpret thousands of exams under supervision. These are just a few of the provisions of licensing.

The extensive requirements of completing a radiologist physician program limit the number of physicians available for final radiology interpretations.

With the advancement of technology in the field, teleradiology has broadened the possibility of more accessible and punctual final reads from radiologists. In most cases, it can make the need for preliminary reporting almost obsolete.

Besides an emergency, another exception may be for very complicated cases where second reads of the imagery may be pertinent to a diagnosis or treatment plan. In these cases, it is most beneficial to have a preliminary report, a second read, then a final report issued before making any decisions.

The primary goal of physicians is to make a difference in the lives of their patients, and they can do this by having timely, accurate, and well-defined information. Continuing improvement of the technical aspects of the radiology field will allow the radiologist to expeditiously provide final radiology interpretations and assist in improving patient management.

 

final interpretation
Teleradiology offers hospitals and healthcare facilities an efficient way of completing interpretations

US Board Certified Teleradiologists from Vesta

At Vesta Teleradiology, our US Board Certified Radiologists can assist your facility with both preliminary and final interpretations, including subspecialty solutions like: nuclear medicine, body imaging, gastrointestinal/genitourinary diagnoses, cardiac angiography and thoracic radiology.

 

Benefits of Teleradiology Services for Urgent Care Facilities

Urgent care facility service use has increased substantially in recent years. Urgent care services’ popularity has provided conveniences and cost reductions of medical care needs.

When a patient enters an urgent care facility, the treating provider determines if radiology services will aid in the diagnosis and treatment plan for the patient. A medical assistant or radiology technician will then use the equipment to produce the radiological images.  

Once the technician creates the radiological images, the treating provider will view and diagnose or send the images to an expert at the teleradiology service contracted with the facility.

Broken bones are not the only reason an urgent care patient may access care at a convenient, local care medical facility. Patients arrive at the facilities for possible strokes, abdominal obstructions, complex pediatric ailments, and other health conditions. Expert radiological assessments can be crucial in practical and immediate treatment.

When a patient who needs radiology services accesses an urgent care facility, fast and professional analysis is essential for effective treatment. 

Teleradiology services have fit in nicely with the goals and objectives of the urgent care facilities for various reasons. Not all patients accessing urgent care need radiology services. Although the service can be life-saving if required, the low rate of use does not warrant the staffing of a full-time radiologist at each facility.

Contracting radiology services for these facilities allows a full-time expert to be available at all times, and these cost savings of a full-time employee are significant.

Teleradiology services allow a physician to access experts anywhere in the country. The pool of providers is not only available at any time, but a radiology expert’s conclusive reports can be sent securely and quickly. 

radiology company
A radiologist reviews an x-ray

If the treating physician has questions about any findings, the radiology expert is easy to reach. This convenience is also possible if the patient or physician requests a second opinion on the results.

With the convenience of radiological expertise availability, urgent care providers can also reduce their professional liability. Providers creating treatment plans for various injuries and symptoms can benefit an urgent care facility contracted with a teleradiological service. Many teleradiology service companies provide a resource for physician consultation. 

Choosing a Teleradiology Company for Your Hospital

Contracting with a teleradiology service can reduce liability for the urgent care facility while increasing and maintaining an excellent public reputation.

The medical care profession has changed drastically over the years, and so have the healthcare consumers. Consumers expect better service, insurance companies expect more conservative costs, and treating physicians need fast results with less liability.

Teleradiology fits nicely into the niche of urgent care facilities because it fits all the criteria of a rapidly changing medical system structure. Teleradiology can be a crucial component for a clinic to provide an ideal service of expert care at an exceptional value.

Teleradiology: Best Providers

Vesta has been providing expert radiology services for over 15 years. We use state of the art technology to streamline your workflow and provide stat readings whenever required. Whether you operate an urgent care center or a private practice our US Board Certified Radiologists are here to help you literally 24×7, even on weekends and nights.

 

teleradiology services
Teleradiologists review an x-ray

 

Please contact us for a custom proposal and a complimentary overview of our services and technology.

5 Tips for Women’s Wellness Healthcare Facilities

The fitness and wellness industry has become one of the biggest markets in the world. If you are the owner of a women’s health or wellness center, there is great potential for growth in this $3.4 trillion industry. This competitive industry is constantly creating new approaches to attract patients. If you are searching for new ideas to enhance your wellness center and the care for your patients, here are 5 tips for increasing patient flow.

  1. Offer educational workshops and speakers. Being able to have a cup of coffee and listen to an informed speaker on a subject of interest can bring in more patients. Those who want to help themselves or improve their life will like this approach. Stress-free opportunities to listen and learn about money management, cooking, gardening, yoga, fashion, or more could entice women with enjoying a nonthreatening space to absorb information. These could be mini-breakout sessions of an upcoming wellness conference which may interest participants to attend.
  2. Bundle services. Having one facility that offers multiple services is attractive. Women are busy. Their time is valuable. If there was an opportunity to make one stop to take care of a mammogram, pedicure, and haircut (for example) many women would like this option. In addition, having a nonjudgmental environment to talk to a therapist on a variety of topics such as mental health issues, menopause, and sexual health could bring in more patients.
  3. Act as a safehouse. Employing experienced professionals who have the awareness and abilities to support women in crisis is needed in every city in the world. Doctors, psychologists, and lawyers on site who are in place to readily protect and prevent violence against women and their children will attract patients. Partnering with local authorities may bring wellness center funding opportunities.
  4. Incorporate wellness retreats. Offering purposeful, affordable, well designed retreats for specific groups allows wellness opportunities beyond the wellness center facility. Programs organized with the intentional components of mental, emotional, physical, and social can provide transformational experiences for patients. These deep connections can be life changing and create interest in future retreats.
     
  5. Outsource your radiology imaging needs to a reliable teleradiology service. With this service, a patient can have her mammogram, ultrasound, or other imaging service performed, screened, and sent digitally to all parties involved. The image and its information is compressed and encrypted and stored in a database server accessed by the radiologist, provider, transcriber, and other workers across geographically diverse facilities. The final report is automatically sent to the doctor and the original facility. This saves time and allows you to focus more on attracting new patients.
ultrasound
An ultrasound underway

Vesta Teleradiology has been assisting Women’s Wellness centers, hospitals, mobile imaging, assisted living and other diagnostic imaging centers for nearly 15 years. It’s not just our speedy service and accurate readings from US Board Certified radiologists, it’s our ability to help you customize the service to tailor it to your facility and patients. Look to Vesta if you want accuracy, speed, affordability, support and customization.

Press Release COVID19

Vesta Teleradiology to Remain Open and Waive Setup Costs to Serve Clinics

Highlighting Benefits of Telemedicine Practices.

Vesta through its Teleradiology and Telemedicine departments is working with partners 24×7 to help them handle issues during the COVID-19 crisis.

Vesta Teleradiology has announced today that, despite the recent events related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), operations will continue to move forward as usual, allowing valuable clients, their physicians and patients, access to much-needed support during this time of uncertainty and healthcare need. Vesta is partnering with healthcare providers, hospitals, communities and their partners nationwide to ensure respective radiology needs are being managed thoroughly and efficiently. Vesta’s radiology services are provided by remote, state licensed radiologists, reducing on-site staffing needs while mitigating risks for facilities and staff.

Vesta’s operations have been reorganized to provide a safe working environment for all employees while providing uninterrupted support 24×7 to Vesta’s valuable clients. To help imaging facilities during the current crisis, Vesta announced today that it is waiving setup costs for teleradiology, even for temporary backup coverage.

Vesta’s Locums department is working with clients to help with temporary coverage of onsite physicians as well as Technologists. In addition to teleradiology services, Vesta through its Telemedicine department currently provides coverage in Cardiology, Neurology, ICU, Psychiatry, Dermatology, Pulmonology and Allergy specialties.

 

teleradiology-service
Vesta is a highly rated teleradiology service provider.

About Vesta Teleradiology

Vesta brings teleradiology solutions and services, providing 24x7x365 access to highly qualified board-certified radiologists through a secure PACS. Vesta, a top 10 telemedicine company in the United States, offers comprehensive and affordable radiology and other telemedicine solutions for its partners. Vesta has been a pioneer in supportive diagnostic workflow technology and quality diagnostic services, steadfast in its passion to remain at the forefront of innovation in healthcare. Prospective clients are offered a free test drive of Vesta’s teleradiology service. For more information, please visit http://www.vestarad.com..

Vesta Recognized as top 10 Telemedicine Company in the US

https://telemedicine.healthcaretechoutlook.com/vendor/vesta-teleradiology-modernizing-the-diagnostic-landscape-cid-912-mid-83.html

Ten years ago, who would have thought that the future of medical care would include smartphones, virtual clinics, and doctor visits more than taking medicines? Not many people, for sure. But today, healthcare sector has drastically transformed the way medical care is being provided to patients by adopting various types of telemedicine techniques. Be it the use of mobile phones to dispense medical treatment (mHealthcare) or increase in popularity of virtual doctor visits, telemedicine has gained huge traction in past few years. The role of mHealthcare and Telemedicine is further on growth trajectory as it offers an organized yet flexible environment to render medical treatment in the comfort of patients’ home.

While telemedicine had majorly remained limited to large academic medical centers for a few past years, the scenario is taking a sharp turn now. Presently, serving as a core technology in providing affordable and convenient healthcare services, telemedicine ensures that patients receive medical care and treatment ‘anywhere and at anytime’, thereby increasing customer satisfaction. All across the globe, healthcare providers are exploring and investing in several latest telemedicine services that would give way to reducing the time delay in patients receiving care.

As CIOs of healthcare organizations plan to integrate telemedicine into their current healthcare services, investing in the right telemedicine services provider emerges as the top most priority for them. In a bid to help CIOs overcome their uncertainty in choosing one particular provider over another, a distinguished panel comprising of CEOs, CIOs, VCs, and analysts along with the editorial panel of Healthcare Tech Outlook have listed top 10 telemedicine service providers in the current edition. These telemedicine service providers have been hand-picked for their customer-centric approach toward offering telemedicine solutions.

We present to you Healthcare Tech Outlook’s ‘Top 10 Telemedicine Consulting/Services Companies 2019’

Top10_Recognition-certification

Company: Vesta Teleradiology
Description: Full Service Teleradiology provider offering Professional Teleradiology as well as IT Consulting Services designed to benefit Hospitals, Imaging Centers, Mobile X-Ray/US providers and Urgent Care Centers
Key Person: Vijay Vonguru President
Website: vestarad.com

Vesta Teleradiology Modernizing the Diagnostic Landscape

As a highly experienced executive in strategic planning, business analytics, operations, and IT solutions, Vijay Vonguru has seen from close quarters how the everchanging technology and the constant development of new advancements have impacted the healthcare industry. Having led his venture, Vesta Teleradiology—a teleradiology services provider—for more than a decade, Vonguru affirms, “While change is constant in healthcare, what hasn’t changed over the years is the timely delivery of quality patient care. While the processes and technologies continue to change, the fundamentals remain the same. Whether providing the care in person or through telemedicine, it all comes down to delivering highest quality care with rapid turnaround. This is our fundamental guiding principle at Vesta.”

Vesta closely monitors the developments in healthcare, and ensures its clients are primed to embrace and reap the benefits of these advancements. Vesta offers teleradiology services, providing 24x7x365 access to their highly qualified US-based Board-certified radiologists through a secure PACS. The company has been a pioneer in supportive diagnostic workflow technology and quality diagnostic services. With an internal IT team, Vesta is able to review the latest technologies that are available in the market, customize them in a way to help its team of Radiologists improve their quality and productivity.

Underscoring the challenges in this space, Vonguru mentions that majority of problems aggravate because companies fail to develop a proper understanding of clients’ changing needs. To provide quality reports, Radiologists need detailed medical history of the patients along with relevant priors. With the high volume case load that Radiologists need to complete each day, they are being forced to rush through the cases and spending limited amount of time on each case resulting in quality issues. Vesta has invested heavily in its technology to create efficient workflow and make the clinical history navigation process extremely simple. Vesta is working with some of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) vendors to incorporate some of the cutting-edge algorithms that will make the process more efficient and help improve the quality and turnaround.

When Vesta onboards new clients, the onboarding team works closely with the client with a goal of understanding the client’s current processes along with client’s expectations on where they would like to see themselves in the medium-term and long-term future. Once the requirements are identified, the Operations team creates a workflow that will help facilitate the growth needs of the client. “This customized workflow helps the client grow which in turn helps in Vesta’s growth creating a win-win strategy,” explains Vonguru. Client facilities are under constant pressure from their competition as well as patient

While change is constant in healthcare, what hasn’t changed over the years is the timely delivery of quality patient care

demands. Vesta’s 24x7x365 customer service is available to answer any questions and address client’s needs.

The uniqueness of Vesta comes from its ability to adapt. Vesta and its staff are aware of the changes that are happening in the healthcare industry and know that the company has to constantly reinvent itself to stay relevant and support its clients to navigate their demands, and at the same time providing support to its Radiologists to be efficient and maintain high quality. As described by Vonguru, the strength of the organization lies in its three pillars—the technology, the operational staff, and the workflow.

Moving forward, Vesta is working on implementing its knowledge gained over a decade in Teleradiology in the areas of cardiology, neurology, psych and other medical areas. “We aim to combine all workflows while following the standard guiding principles to ensure quality diagnosis and deliver effective and timely treatments for the patients,” concludes Vonguru.

https://telemedicine.healthcaretechoutlook.com/vendor/vesta-teleradiology-modernizing-the-diagnostic-landscape-cid-912-mid-83.html