Teleradiology Solutions – Best Use of Digital Health FINALIST – 2018

SHORT DESCRIPTION

India based Teleradiology and Telehealth company working in over 20 countries including the United States, Singapore, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Maldives and India.

Teleradiology Solutions platform works on low-speed bandwidth, making it accessible in areas with poor digital infrastructure, particularly in rural areas of Africa and India. It’s platform works on a pay-per-click model making it more affordable and suited to small institutions as well as larger providers. It claims a 99% accuracy rate, 2% higher than the American College of Radiology standard of 97%. With coverage 365 days of the year, 24 hours per day, it is able to turn around emergency image reads in 15 minutes.

Application

Briefly describe the organisation giving number of facilities, staff, revenue numbers.

TRS Solutions LLP (TRS) is a leading global Teleradiology and Telehealth company. It was founded in 2002 by two Yale University trained physicians, it provides Teleradiology services (ie CT, MRI, X-ray, ultrasounds reports) and technology to clients in India and globally and is among the first Teleradiology companies to be accredited by the US Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organization (JC). It was also awarded “Best in KLAS” in 2011. The company’s purpose-built reporting centres are located in the USA, India and Israel. We have reported scans for over 5 million patients since our inception in 2002. We currently cater to the requirements of 150 hospitals (including Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School), and health care centres in over 20 countries, including the United States, Singapore, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Maldives and India, across 3 continents (North America, Africa & Asia). Teleradiology Solutions is the first organization outside Singapore to be accredited by the Ministry of Health, Singapore and has provided teleradiology services to Singapore since 2005.

What is the nature of the service in which the organisation is using digital health?

Teleradiology Solutions, headquartered in Bangalore – India, offers interpretation of all non-invasive imaging studies (CT, MRI, PET, Nuclear Medicine studies, Digitized X-rays, ECG, Angiography etc.,). Our services also include 3-D reconstructions of CT scans. We have reported scans for over 5 million patients since our inception in 2002. We currently cater to the requirements of 150 hospitals and health care centres in over 20 countries, including the United States, Singapore, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Maldives and India, across 3 continents (North America, Africa & Asia). Teleradiology Solutions is the first organization outside Singapore to be accredited by the Ministry of Health, Singapore and has provided teleradiology services to Singapore since 2005.

Teleradiology Solutions is a global pioneer in remote radiology interpretation and telehealth and uses RadSpa teleradiology software, developed in-house, a US FDA and CE approved teleradiology software, that follows international standards with respect to teleradiology work flow, DICOM image viewing and archival and highly secure transmission of patient data and images.
Our delivery is SLA-driven and we follow stringent Quality Assurance that includes procedures recommended by US-based Joint Commission.

Please describe the IT system and how it works. What software is the organisation using? Is it bespoke? If not, what package is it based on? What hardware does the organisation typically run it on?

Teleradiology Solution uses technology to acquire high quality imaging diagnostics from its remote hospitals globally and complete interpretation of report-reads in real time. Our indigenously built platform (RADSpa), which works on low speed bandwidth, has enabled ICT interventions in rural areas across Africa and Asia (including in India in particular). RADspa , a RIS-PACS cloud based workflow platform which operates on a pay-per-click model has contributed to teleradiology adoption in India and Teleradiology Solution is seeing a steady interest among the Indian healthcare providers where there is a huge shortage of radiologists. RADSpa is a unique and revolutionary remote radiology platform with a fully integrated RIS &PACS suited for standalone diagnostics centre to a large scale multi geography tele-radiology centers & hospitals. Teleradiology Solution uses technology to acquire high quality imaging diagnostics from its remote hospitals globally and complete interpretation of report-reads in real time. Our indigenously built platform (RADSpa), which works on low speed bandwidth, has enabled ICT interventions in rural areas across Africa and Asia (including in India in particular). RADspa , a RIS-PACS cloud based workflow platform which operates on a pay-per-click model has contributed to teleradiology adoption in India and Teleradiology Solution is seeing a steady interest among the Indian healthcare providers where there is a huge shortage of radiologists. RADSpa is a unique and revolutionary remote radiology platform with a fully integrated RIS &PACS suited for standalone diagnostics centre to a large scale multi geography tele-radiology centers & hospitals.

IP component

RADSpa Platform USP

• Workflow optimized for multi-site , multi-radiologist set up

• Platform agnostic RIS-PACS: Integrates and works with any existing PACS

• Optimal radiologist assignment with “Auto-Rad-Assign”. RADSpa radiology CRM to manage hospitals/ physicians better

• Even at peak loads and limited bandwidth, RADSpa “Active push” for instantaneous image availability

• mobile RADSpa to report from iPAD/iPhone

Contemporaneous Peer Review: Ensure timely completion of the Quality Assurance Process by providing a formal Quality Assurance report to the client for discrepancies generated on Teleradiology Solutions reports by the on-site radiologist.

When did the organisation start delivering this service en masse?

Month : February
Year : 2002

What are the main key performance indicators? How does the organisation measure the success of the project?

– Turn Around Time – More than 95%
– Quality of reporting – We deliver 99% accuracy; this is 2% above the ACR (American College of Radiology) standards which is 97%
– Turn Around Time – 15 min T-A-T for emergency reads
– Client Retention Percentage –90% client retention rate (all our clients sign are multi-year contracts)
– Radiologist (employee) retention rate – negligible attrition rate among our pool of 75+ radiologists, with many having completed 10+ years with us

How has the digital health enabled service impacted on patient/care recipient outcomes?

There is a massive shortage of trained radiologists globally compounded by a rapidly growing, ageing population in many countries. (As a person ages, the quantum of imaging analysis increases substantially). Teleradiology Solutions addresses this shortfall by creating a central reading center that services hospitals and medical centers globally.
– Prior to the inception of Teleradiology Solutions’ reporting night emergency scans for US hospitals, the patient’s scan would often go unreported by a radiologist until the next morning.
– Using our service, enables the scan to be reported in 30 minutes or less. Earlier diagnosis facilitates more optimal and potentially lifesaving therapy.
– Reporting quality is also enhanced by our services, as the radiologist does not have to be awake all night (in the hospital or diagnostic centre) reporting scans (which may impact on the quality of reporting).
– Furthermore, having dedicated stroke protocol (reports with turnaround time of 15 mins) results in timely intervention and improves patient outcomes with a critical value policy which requires them to call out those findings immediately without any delay thereby making a big difference in patient care.
– In Singapore, prior to our introducing our teleradiology services, it took 3 days to get radiographs reported and these were performed at outpatient polyclinics. After implementation of our teleradiology services, the turnaround time has been reduced to one hour. This eliminated the need of the second visit for diagnosis which was a significant benefit in terms of man-hours and productivity.
– We have also reduced the cost of radiology services by improving radiologist efficiencies, reducing night staffing, using economy of scale and streamlining workflow.
– In India, reporting for hospitals in remote parts of the country such as Itanagar in the stae of Arunachal Pradesh, has enabled the provision of critical diagnostic services to a population that would not otherwise have had access to any radiologists.