Finding Radiology Services that Ensure Quality

As more and more hospitals and private practices are beginning to outsource radiology services, quality is becoming a pressing concern for many. How can doctors assure their patients of excellent healthcare with services that could come from the other side of the country? There are a number of benchmarks to help ensure that a hospital or practice is receiving nothing short of excellent quality teleradiology services.

When it comes to health care organizations, accreditation from the appropriate institutions is of primary importance. Accreditation from The Joint Commission is recognized all over the country as a sign of an organization's adherence to high quality standards. Teleradiology service providers also need to be strictly compliant with the guidelines laid out by the American College of Radiology (ACR), the country's principal organization for radiologists.

The next factor to take into consideration is the caliber of the radiologists in a service provider's employ. Doctors can be assured of highly reliable and competent partners in delivering excellent healthcare with board-certified, U.S.-trained and -based radiologists with fellowship training. In addition, doctors will do well to partner with those who provide radiology services full-time, and are not subcontractors or residents.

Finally, doctors can promptly respond to patient needs if they, too, receive speedy services from their Teleradiology partner. Service providers need to be able to provide excellent customer support 24/7, and can offer IT and administrative support as well, to ensure that doctors can focus squarely on providing efficient care. With all the above, hospitals and private practices are assured that they are provided with quality radiology services that enable them to deliver excellent healthcare anytime, anywhere in the country.