Hospitals look out for radiology outsourcing (India)

17 Jul, 2007
NEW DELHI: In a bid to expand its outsourcing business, Indian corporate hospitals are now exploring the radiology segment. They are in talks with hospitals in the US and UK who are interested in outsourcing radiology work.

Fortis Healthcare is in talks with some hospitals in the US to outsource the radiology work to its hospitals. A company official told ET: “It is an area of the healthcare sector we are keen to tap. We have begun preliminary talks with few hospitals in the US.”

Radiology covers medical imaging such as X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasound. These images can be transferred to Indian hospitals through a dedicated line. The hospitals can then analyse them and send the reports back.

Radiology constitutes about 5-7% of the entire healthcare expenditure. The global healthcare market is a huge $2.8 trillion. Typically, radiology outsourcing to Indian hospitals can cut down cost by about 50% or less. In addition to cost cutting, the 12-hour time difference enables hospitals in the US to work 24X7.

Indian doctors can carry out the radiology work but it has to be approved by a radiologist certified by the American Board of Radiology, who could either be in India or the US. Apollo Hospitals Group chief medical officer (international projects) Dr N Vetrivel said, “Outsourcing in healthcare is going to drive the Indian corporate hospitals. We are exploring all work that can be technologically outsourced.”

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Healthcare__Biotech/Healthcare/Hospitals_look_out_for_radiology_outsourcing/articleshow/2208896.cms

system.

Of course, I'd rather that only a little bit of stuff be outsourced, until micro-wage nations wages increase to parity with US wages. However, if the working class and upper middle class can get screwed, why not the upper class?

Perhaps when lawyers get outsourced we'll start changing things.

since many US hospitals have been using indian rediologists for years.

It's not just saving money, but the problem of actually finding local radiologists to work the emergency rooms in some areas. Someone comes in at 3 AM, X-rays are taken, and there's a mad scramble to find a radiologist willing to come in and look at them. Easier to send them off to India and get an immediate diagnosis.

Are the Indian docs a good as ours? Well, a lot of them were trained here, and quite a few are board certified....

But, if hospitals want to expand this to firing all of their local radiologists...

because outsourcing that work at 3 AM in the US to a radiologist who's working his normal hours in Mumbai and who is alert and sharp can provide a better outcome than expecting a bleary eyed US radiologist who's just been dragged out of bed to be able to notice everything on a complicated film.

It should work the other way, too, with Indian hospitals using western hemisphere radiologists in their off hours, too, but we all know that is not going to happen.

Unfortunately, the business people who make the decisions are all light switch mentalities, everything being either off or on. If night imaging is read in India, by golly, it all should be read in India!

I hope to live to see all MBA's thrown out of healthcare and a reasonable and prudent system of single payer brought in. When that happens, reciprocal agreements with hospitals around the world for radiology services might be a very good thing to consider.

Then they would use European doctors, as that is enough time difference to find an awake radiologist in almost every case.

Its about saving money, period. And that money won't be passed on to the health care consumer, in the form of lower premiums, it will only be used to raise profits.

I bet this will also make it harder to sue for a botched diagnosis.

jim

pretty much covered it, I thought, as did "reciprocal agreements."

Funny how the mind refuses to progress beyond what is to what might be.