The cost of medical care has skyrocketed in this country. Government-supported insurance programs have done nothing but exacerbate this issue while providing fewer services to patients. In an effort to control the cost of care, many private doctors and even some hospitals have begun to utilize teleradiology services.
Radiology is an entry many people see on their hospital bills, but not everyone understands exactly what it means. It is an imaging technique that takes pictures of parts of the body for the purpose of proper treatment or diagnosis. MRIs, CAT scans, and x-rays are all examples of radiology.
Private medical offices have always had to send x-rays as well as lab specimens to an offsite facility for review. Patients mistakenly believe the doctors themselves review their x-ray because it is usually their doctor who discusses it with them. However, the lack of radiology on staff in most local medical facilities is the reason why so many patients must be transferred to area hospitals, even when their condition is not life-threatening.
Local urgent centers rarely have the economic power to keep radiologists on staff all the time. Even hospitals have trouble affording these specialists since they can charge as much as $1,500.00 per day, or even per shift. However, when the facility is able to obtain an off-site specialist, certain images can be reviewed right away, meaning that life-preserving procedures can take place with less of the dangerous wait that sometimes occurs.
Ultrasound radiologists often work in a vacuum, as OB doctors are one of the few local medical practices that are likely to keep a radiologist on hand. However, ultrasounds involve the live miniature human in motion factor, and this means getting proper measurements and evaluations done in real time can be difficult. In instances where they see something that seems off to them, they are now able to access a second-opinion while the patient is on the radiology table.
This ability to receive an instant second opinion is good for more than just pregnant patients. Emergency Room radiologists must use their own discretion when evaluating images of internal injuries or multiple fractures, and they are the ones who give the go-ahead for expensive and risky surgical procedures. Not only can an off-site service grant them a second set of eyes on the images, but if there is no radiologists available at the time, it shortens the time it takes for image evaluation to occur.
Having such specialists available in an online capacity not only lowers costs, but it allows smaller medical offices to offer more extensive testing at their facility. This means fewer ambulance trips from hospital to hospital. It can also mean that the radiologists work from home in an on-call capacity, which gives them more freedom to spend time with family and friends rather than working odd shifts at medical facilities.
Most services charge the hospitals or doctors offices on a per-image basis rather than charging by the day. This brings the cost of such a specialist from $1,000.00 per day to as little as $10.00 per image. Patients should be aware of this, and be watchful of what their radiology bills are coming to in order to avoid being overcharged for services that are not costing the medical facility near what they might try to bill you for.
Radiology is an entry many people see on their hospital bills, but not everyone understands exactly what it means. It is an imaging technique that takes pictures of parts of the body for the purpose of proper treatment or diagnosis. MRIs, CAT scans, and x-rays are all examples of radiology.
Private medical offices have always had to send x-rays as well as lab specimens to an offsite facility for review. Patients mistakenly believe the doctors themselves review their x-ray because it is usually their doctor who discusses it with them. However, the lack of radiology on staff in most local medical facilities is the reason why so many patients must be transferred to area hospitals, even when their condition is not life-threatening.
Local urgent centers rarely have the economic power to keep radiologists on staff all the time. Even hospitals have trouble affording these specialists since they can charge as much as $1,500.00 per day, or even per shift. However, when the facility is able to obtain an off-site specialist, certain images can be reviewed right away, meaning that life-preserving procedures can take place with less of the dangerous wait that sometimes occurs.
Ultrasound radiologists often work in a vacuum, as OB doctors are one of the few local medical practices that are likely to keep a radiologist on hand. However, ultrasounds involve the live miniature human in motion factor, and this means getting proper measurements and evaluations done in real time can be difficult. In instances where they see something that seems off to them, they are now able to access a second-opinion while the patient is on the radiology table.
This ability to receive an instant second opinion is good for more than just pregnant patients. Emergency Room radiologists must use their own discretion when evaluating images of internal injuries or multiple fractures, and they are the ones who give the go-ahead for expensive and risky surgical procedures. Not only can an off-site service grant them a second set of eyes on the images, but if there is no radiologists available at the time, it shortens the time it takes for image evaluation to occur.
Having such specialists available in an online capacity not only lowers costs, but it allows smaller medical offices to offer more extensive testing at their facility. This means fewer ambulance trips from hospital to hospital. It can also mean that the radiologists work from home in an on-call capacity, which gives them more freedom to spend time with family and friends rather than working odd shifts at medical facilities.
Most services charge the hospitals or doctors offices on a per-image basis rather than charging by the day. This brings the cost of such a specialist from $1,000.00 per day to as little as $10.00 per image. Patients should be aware of this, and be watchful of what their radiology bills are coming to in order to avoid being overcharged for services that are not costing the medical facility near what they might try to bill you for.
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You can get a summary of the things to consider before picking a provider of teleradiology services at http://www.spot-on-radiologist.com/services right now.
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