Major Achievements of the IOM Global Teleradiology Programme

Since 2012, below are some of the main achievements of the Global Teleradiology and Quality Control (QC) Center in Manila, Philippines:

• Enhanced teleradiology capacity and expanded teleradiology programmes to locations worldwide. As of November 2022, the Global Center comprised a team of 55 staff, including both radiologists and technical staff, working 7 days a week and 15 hours per day (Monday through Friday) and networked to 95 locations worldwide. The Global Centre provides real time primary reading for 78 locations (20 of non-IOM panel clinics and 58 IOM locations) and quality control activities for more than 41 locations providing services for United States and United Kingdom-bound migrants
• In coordination with IOM ICT, successfully developed IOM teleradiology systems and software applications, expanded advanced radiology technologies to field locations, and provided uninterrupted technical support and troubleshooting real time during the Teleradiology operation hours
• Provided global radiology support, including the development of several radiology guidelines, radiology audit visits and feedback, directed technical guidance to several IOM operations during the purchase of X-ray machines, establishment of X-ray units and other radiology related matters
• Published the IOM Guideline on 'Screening chest X-ray interpretation and radiographic techniques'
• Conducted several global and regional radiology training workshops, both web-based and onsite for participants from IOM and non-IOM panel sites
• Presented research project results and IOM experiences at global conferences and summits organized by agencies including WHO, STOP TB Partnership and International Panel Physicians Association (IPPA), and participated as panelists and subject matter experts in WHO meetings
• Established robust internal quality compliance mechanism, including internal QA monitoring processes and data analysis on key performance indicators
• Established a second Regional Teleradiology Center in Nairobi, Kenya in 2016 that supports locations in sub-Saharan Africa
• Closely coordinated and strengthened partnerships with major receiving country partners, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, among others, as well as international partners, such as WHO and the Stop TB Partnership
• Coordinated with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to expand the IOM Teleradiology Quality Control Programme to all IOM locations examining US-bound migrants worldwide. Conducted and submitted reports for eight QC projects for non-IOM locations examining US-bound migrants in the Asia region, and conducted a project to assist the development of CDC artificial intelligence (AI).
• Coordinated with Australia and Canada Immigration Health branches to expand teleradiology chest X-ray reading services to all IOM locations examining Australia- and Canada-bound migrants worldwide and several non-IOM panel clinics, and collaborated with the Canadian health authorities to undertake QC activities for non-IOM Canadian panel sites
• Undertook a collaborative global research initiative with Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) and US CDC on the accuracy of computer-aided detection (CAD) artificial intelligence (AI) for detecting TB; results were submitted to WHO, which contributed to the development of the World Health Organization (WHO) Consolidated TB Guideline
• Coordinated with the government of Japan concerning the Japan Pre-entry TB Screening Programme (JPETS), assisting the development of the new JPETS chest X-ray reporting form and the JPETS application, and undertook preparations for teleradiology service as a key element of the quality and integrity of programme