not trying to fire people up...

[Dr. Whatever]

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Members don't see this ad.

but just thought this might be of interest....

http://www.outsource2india.com/services/radiology.asp

 

[shocker]

Are the Radiologists in other countries proficient enough for this to work?

Don't we demand the best in all aspects of our society? We should either become more efficient or produce more docs.

 

[SoCalRULES!!!!!]

How could this ever work?

Let's say I'm in the E.R. at a hospital and need a abdominal CT, the hospital has no incentive to have the patient's CT read in India as the hospital doesn't pay the radiologist. The radiologist bills the insurance/medicare/patient. Why would the hospital send images overseas?

How can it ever be implemented?

I don't understand it.

Plus I think other docs like refering their patients to docs they know and can talk with should they have questions.

This will never fly.

 

[SoCalRULES!!!!!]

Don't we demand the best in all aspects of our society? .

I'm afraid this argument doesn't work well. Look at the ****ty way houses are built today comapared to 80 years ago. People only care about the bottom line. Not quality.

 

[novacek88]

It will never work because once one of those "teleradiologists in India" misdiagnose someone and the patients suffers as a result, guess who enters the picture.

The LAWYERS

 

[shivalrous]

It will never work because once one of those "teleradiologists in India" misdiagnose someone and the patients suffers as a result, guess who enters the picture.

The LAWYERS

You do have a valid point, but I believe that the lawyers will always be attempting to enter the picture. I guess the only thing we can do is sit and watch how everything pans out. But I must tell you the doctors coming from India are quite sharp...whomever doubts that they aren't at American standards has no clue. But yes, no one is foolproof and misdiagnoses can occur.

 

[SoCalRULES!!!!!]

Has this started to happen in any substantial way yet?

I just don't see how it could ever be implemented.

Could a large scale HMO build their own radiology centers, force their insured to go there for all out-patient radiology and then send it digitally to India?

I guess that is possible, but it will never happen as ordering docs won't like it, and if ordering docs doc like it, they system will be taken apart.

Medicare will never go for it. And it will never happen for in-patient cases. Docs need to talk to their radiologists.

 

[novacek88]

You do have a valid point, but I believe that the lawyers will always be attempting to enter the picture. I guess the only thing we can do is sit and watch how everything pans out. But I must tell you the doctors coming from India are quite sharp...whomever doubts that they aren't at American standards has no clue. But yes, no one is foolproof and misdiagnoses can occur.

Of course, lawyers will always try to enter the picture; that goes without saying. However, if you are going to provide an attorney with even more grounds to make a case, that is only going to provide even more of an initiative to file a lawsuit. Lawyers were the ones responsible for the 80 hour rule. They are just licking their chops for hospitals like MGH to outsource more scans because that is the next "asbestos" in their view.

Regarding your other point, Indian physicians are intelligent and as sharp as any other physician. But these Indian physicians have not undergone training in the United States by fulfilling a formal 5 year residency in radiology. It has nothing to do with their intelligence and everything to do with their training and tenure. The technology and training in the U.S. is vastly superior to that of India's, which most Indian physicians will admit. I apologize because I'm not trying to sound like a patriotic American blowhard like you see on some of these forums who bash citizens of other countries. Butyou have to admit the medical training in the U.S. is widely considered to be the best in the world due to the resources and time allocated toward it. We have our fair share of problems but our medical education is not one of them. 🙂 Contrary to popular belief, not all foreigners come to the United States to settle down. Many people from India seek training in the U.S. only to return to their country.

 

[shocker]

I'm afraid this argument doesn't work well. Look at the ****ty way houses are built today comapared to 80 years ago. People only care about the bottom line. Not quality.

When I refer to wanting the best I am talking about our healthcare system, not construction methods.

Our country simply delivers the best healthcare and that is directly related to the superior training we receive. If physicians from other countries try to take a piece of the pie they will need to be as good or better for it to fly with us (but it still wouldn't fly).

That was the basis of my question, are they good enough?
My question was answered above. I never doubted anyone's intelligence, it was only questioning training.

....How would international litigation work anyways? US citizens trying to sue some Indian Radiologist, seems like a lot of work.

 

[novacek88]

....How would international litigation work anyways? US citizens trying to sue some Indian Radiologist, seems like a lot of work.

Simple, you sue the hospital(s) that contracted that Indian radiologist out aka MGH.