Hospitals and doctors offices are charging more than ever for their services these days. Government-sponsored programs such as Obamacare was supposed to bring these costs down, but the opposite is what appears to have happened. In an effort to minimize cost to healthcare providers and patients alike, many medical facilities are seeking 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.
Most private medical practices have to send their physical images to a local service in order to have them evaluated properly. For this reason, it is not uncommon for patients to be transported to area hospitals for treatment of broken bones, or evaluation of a patient complaining of chest pain. Local urgent centers often have patients transported via ambulance or Life-Flight, at great cost to the patient.
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.
Radiologists who specialize in ultrasound technology are often on their own in an OB/GYN office. There are instances where the radiologist may wish to have a second set of eyes on the images he or she is taking, and that person needs this to be available in real time since the measurements and general evaluation of the ultrasound is done in real time. We now have the technology to allow this to happen.
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.
This means small town hospitals and doctors offices are providing better services at lower cost than specialty centers. Fewer ambulance rides or Life-Flight trips means less expense is incurred, which actually equates to smaller care centers being able to make more money for their local urgent care center. It also means radiology technicians are able to tele-work, sometimes from home, allowing for a more flexible lifestyle.
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.
Most private medical practices have to send their physical images to a local service in order to have them evaluated properly. For this reason, it is not uncommon for patients to be transported to area hospitals for treatment of broken bones, or evaluation of a patient complaining of chest pain. Local urgent centers often have patients transported via ambulance or Life-Flight, at great cost to the patient.
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.
Radiologists who specialize in ultrasound technology are often on their own in an OB/GYN office. There are instances where the radiologist may wish to have a second set of eyes on the images he or she is taking, and that person needs this to be available in real time since the measurements and general evaluation of the ultrasound is done in real time. We now have the technology to allow this to happen.
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.
This means small town hospitals and doctors offices are providing better services at lower cost than specialty centers. Fewer ambulance rides or Life-Flight trips means less expense is incurred, which actually equates to smaller care centers being able to make more money for their local urgent care center. It also means radiology technicians are able to tele-work, sometimes from home, allowing for a more flexible lifestyle.
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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