Teleradiology Feasibility

[oblivious]

Hey guys,

I am a MS-III student right now at a middle tier medical school interested in...well, that's the problem. I am interested in lots and have NO idea what I want to do. I have been reading about radiology and teleradiology recently, and have some questions.

I have no idea where else to ask these questions and don't know what other sources to use to find my answers. If anybody can help me here, I would appreciate it.

PLease no flaming. Thanks. 🙂

1) If you are a US trained and licensed radiologist, do you have to live in the US? For example, could I live in Europe or Australia or South America and still work out of the US?

2) Or for another example, could I work out of Georgia, US but live in New York?

3) Is the pay for a teleradiologist equivalent to the pay of a in-house radiologist? Approx $300,000 or so???

4) Does a teleradiologist have to use a LAN line connection, or can you use wireless or satellite? For example, could a physician in a remote part of the African jungle that happens to have a satellite connection and imaging station in his shack read films for a hospital in Texas? (maybe a little exaggerated, but you get my point)

5) Does a teleradiologist have any responsibilities actually in the hospital for which he is assigned?

6) Ideal scenario: Physician on a sailboat with strong satellite connection reading films from Fiji??? Possible or idealistic?

Thanks guys! I know I may be naive, but that is why I am here. I am here to learn. 🙂

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[Kitra101]

I am just going to reply to let you know what kind of remarks to anticipate:

1. Sarcastic remarks
2. Remarks about dont pick a residency based on lifestyle
3. If money is your reason for going into medicine, you are an (insert negative noun with or without adjectives)
4. Comments about how you need to use the search function to find previous posts about teleradiology and/or salary
5. Comments of pictures of a dead horse being beaten

In summary, most likely, you will get no real information. If you really want to get answers to these questions, SDN is probably not the place. You should find a real person in radiology and ask them your questions in person.

 

[Amxcvbcv]

I am just going to reply to let you know what kind of remarks to anticipate:

1. Sarcastic remarks
2. Remarks about dont pick a residency based on lifestyle
3. If money is your reason for going into medicine, you are an (insert negative noun with or without adjectives)
4. Comments about how you need to use the search function to find previous posts about teleradiology and/or salary
5. Comments of pictures of a dead horse being beaten

In summary, most likely, you will get no real information. If you really want to get answers to these questions, SDN is probably not the place. You should find a real person in radiology and ask them your questions in person.

Why so cynical?

 

[Llenroc]

Radiologists bone swimsuit models in the Carribbean while reading radiographs. Pay is upwards of $700,000 or $800,000, with no taxes (on Grand Cayman at least). No radiologist has set foot in America ever since the cable modem was invented circa 1997.

 

[deleted77919]

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[deleted77919]

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[bonvoyage]

Setting up a $15,000 workstation in a sailboat where there is lots of humidity, risk of salt spray, minor interior flooding during serious storms, etc nixes this idea before the legal ramifications are even considered (imagine the malpractice suit now . . . you were reading the CT where now? Joe six pack and Jane hockey mom of the jury will not be amused). Just powering all of that stuff on any sort of vessel that is affordable to operate on a six figure income is a non-starter.

I can't say I'm up on the status of satellite internet speeds in the middle of the pacific, but a lot of these studies have tremendously large file sizes . . . you (and especially the hospital) doesn't want you to wait 30 minutes while the thing is downloading.

damn that #6 that the op described is really cool. in the previous post someone said that the final reads have to be done in the u.s. so how much would your income be cut if u only did preliminiary reads(but did have u.s. training and relevant work experience)? in some parts of europe you can live better than in usa on 50% of the income. and there are no taxes!

i think your reasons for rejecting the sailboat are highly suspect. u can keep the computer inside the cabin... but it is not practical, because you cant really mix work with pleasure. i would be more interested in living in some sailboat haven like spain or greece and getting enough of an income to afford vacations on a sailboat...

 

[Mariah246]

I can't say I'm up on the status of satellite internet speeds in the middle of the pacific

I know a couple of jerk attendings who would stop you right there and ask, "Well why not?"

 

[hans19]

Hey guys,

I am a MS-III student right now at a middle tier medical school interested in...well, that's the problem. I am interested in lots and have NO idea what I want to do. I have been reading about radiology and teleradiology recently, and have some questions.

I have no idea where else to ask these questions and don't know what other sources to use to find my answers. If anybody can help me here, I would appreciate it.

PLease no flaming. Thanks. 🙂

1) If you are a US trained and licensed radiologist, do you have to live in the US? For example, could I live in Europe or Australia or South America and still work out of the US?

Yes

2) Or for another example, could I work out of Georgia, US but live in New York?

Yes

3) Is the pay for a teleradiologist equivalent to the pay of a in-house radiologist? Approx $300,000 or so???

Yes, but the downside is that these arrangements don't have a partnership tract. You get a year to year contract. That means there is less stability and less of the potential to make 'partner' income

4) Does a teleradiologist have to use a LAN line connection, or can you use wireless or satellite? For example, could a physician in a remote part of the African jungle that happens to have a satellite connection and imaging station in his shack read films for a hospital in Texas? (maybe a little exaggerated, but you get my point)

You probably want a T1 line or better. I don't know the details about satellite bandwidth.

5) Does a teleradiologist have any responsibilities actually in the hospital for which he is assigned?

If he is physically present he will be needed to cover contrast reactions, etc.

6) Ideal scenario: Physician on a sailboat with strong satellite connection reading films from Fiji??? Possible or idealistic?

No matter what set up you have, it better be ROCK SOLID. Hospital ERs aren't going to tolerate a delay in a reading because it was a little cloudy off the coast of Sardinia.

 

[xrayvision]

Hey guys,

I am a MS-III student right now at a middle tier medical school interested in...well, that's the problem. I am interested in lots and have NO idea what I want to do. I have been reading about radiology and teleradiology recently, and have some questions.

I have no idea where else to ask these questions and don't know what other sources to use to find my answers. If anybody can help me here, I would appreciate it.

PLease no flaming. Thanks. 🙂

1) If you are a US trained and licensed radiologist, do you have to live in the US? For example, could I live in Europe or Australia or South America and still work out of the US?

2) Or for another example, could I work out of Georgia, US but live in New York?

3) Is the pay for a teleradiologist equivalent to the pay of a in-house radiologist? Approx $300,000 or so???

4) Does a teleradiologist have to use a LAN line connection, or can you use wireless or satellite? For example, could a physician in a remote part of the African jungle that happens to have a satellite connection and imaging station in his shack read films for a hospital in Texas? (maybe a little exaggerated, but you get my point)

5) Does a teleradiologist have any responsibilities actually in the hospital for which he is assigned?

6) Ideal scenario: Physician on a sailboat with strong satellite connection reading films from Fiji??? Possible or idealistic?

Thanks guys! I know I may be naive, but that is why I am here. I am here to learn. 🙂

1. You can live anywhere you want, but you must be licensed in the state from which you are reading. As stated before, only prelim readings can be done off US soil for medicare patients. Companies generally pay less for a prelim reading than a final reading, roughly 30% less. My experience is that the majority of teleradiology is prelim.

2. Yes, I live in Las Vegas and read for numerous other states.

3. Can be better or worse. Radiology groups differ tremendously across the country in their pay based on many factors such as location, size of group, in or outpatient, 3rd party payors, willingness of the group to work hard, how much vacation you want, etc. 300k would be on the low side for a full time rad in either scenario in my experience.

4. The ones I know use cable modems, mine has download speed of 12MBPS.

5. Not really, abide by the by laws, pretty easy since you never step foot there. Maintain liability insurance, but the telerad companies take care of that. Do a good and timely job for their patients.

6. Maybe someday

Good luck

 

[Goober]

1. You can live anywhere you want, but you must be licensed in the state from which you are reading. As stated before, only prelim readings can be done off US soil for medicare patients. Companies generally pay less for a prelim reading than a final reading, roughly 30% less. My experience is that the majority of teleradiology is prelim.

2. Yes, I live in Las Vegas and read for numerous other states.

3. Can be better or worse. Radiology groups differ tremendously across the country in their pay based on many factors such as location, size of group, in or outpatient, 3rd party payors, willingness of the group to work hard, how much vacation you want, etc. 300k would be on the low side for a full time rad in either scenario in my experience.

4. The ones I know use cable modems, mine has download speed of 12MBPS.

5. Not really, abide by the by laws, pretty easy since you never step foot there. Maintain liability insurance, but the telerad companies take care of that. Do a good and timely job for their patients.

6. Maybe someday

Good luck

My two bits

-I would also add that in general you will be doing overnight ER rad work. Many rads don't like the nature of this type of work for various reasons. If you are subspecialty trained (which is very common these days) these types of jobs would probably not interest you.

-This is a crowded field and getting more crowded. There are significant forces that are bringing down incomes. Unless you have ownership in these companies you will have little stability. I would not go buy a house and settle in Europe based on a telerad job for instance.


-Although there are some who do this long term. There are many who do not last in the telerad gig. I would say the majority in my experience end up leaving the job in less than 5 years as a full time gig.