Real-Time Teleradiology Primary Reading Program

The IOM Teleradiology Centers provides a real time teleradiology primary reading service. The Global Center operates seven days a week, 15 hours a day from Monday to Friday, Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons with a turnaround time of less than 1 hour (average turnaround time of 20 minutes), and flexibly expands operating hours as needed.  The necessary technical preparations required for starting a new teleradiology service for any location is coordinated and guided by the Center’s technical team. Affordable and simplified technical solutions are designed for different scenarios. Training of the local teleradiology users, piloting the process and any final adjustments needed are completed before the rollout of the service for a smooth start. 

The digital radiographs from different clinics worldwide are automatically transferred through the PACS network and read in real time by the radiologists at the Centers. A designated teleradiology assistant is assigned to each clinic for real time communication to answer any queries and to ensure all readings are completed in a timely fashion. The teleradiology technical support staff provide uninterrupted technical support and ensure smooth workflow. 

To maintain the quality and efficiency of teleradiology services, both Centers have implemented several  internal monitoring QA measures, including peer review and internal monitoring review of percentage of digital images already read, analysis of key performance indicators, use of an incident management system and incorporation of lessons learned for further enhancement of services, as well as review and updates of standard operating procedures and guidelines. Additionally, the Global Centre adopts strict consultation rules for complex cases, regular image viewing sessions and refresher training for radiologists and regular performance evaluations, among other measures.

Teleradiology high-quality CXR readings standardize the quality of the radiology service and mitigate the challenges experienced in local field operations due to the limited availability of experienced radiologists in many high-TB burden countries. With a high level of interest and demand from key migrant-receiving country governments and other global partners, the Global and Regional Centers have continued to enhance capacity and expand the teleradiology primary reading programme to different IOM and non-IOM locations worldwide. The Center is flexible and is able to expand the service hours to 24/7 as needed.