As evidence-based healthcare has become predominant today, unsurprisingly radiology has taken a center stage in patient management. Unfortunately, with merely one radiologist per 100,000 people, our billion people strong country is grappling with a huge shortage of radiologists. These radiologists’ workload is further exacerbated with the rise of defensive medicine, which demands radiologists to be perfect and accurate.However, in developing countries, the population that suffers the most due to this disproportion is from tier II&III cities and rural areas, as new radiologists desire to work in urban setups. For example, the difficult financial situation in many African states and lack of trained health professionals means that the majority of the people in sub-Saharan Africa are badly disadvantaged in medical care, and in remote areas with low population density, direct healthcare provision is often very poor.

The most logical solution to this human logistics nightmare is teleradiology, which enables the flow of radiology expertise from areas of surplus to areas of requirement, worldwide.Thanks to increasingly powerful web based Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) networks, diagnostic images such as MRIs, CT scans or radiographs can be transferred digitally to major centres that might otherwise be inaccessible to these patients. However, the demand for sub-specialized radiology services still keeps skyrocketing, as practitioners have experienced the huge difference between routine reads and readings done by people with sub-specialist exposure. Foreseeing this gap prompted Dr. Sumer Sethi to introduce the concept of remote radiology reading servicein India through Teleradiology Providers (TeleRad Providers).

Reaching the Unreachable through Technology
Incepted in 2007 with a mission of reaching the unreachable through technology,the company endeavours to avail a highly accurate diagnosis to even the remote corners of the world through its online radiology reporting services, so that patient management can be initiated promptly and with confidence.Though during initial phases, it was challenging to convince hospitals about the feasibility of remote delivery of medical opinion, Dr. Sumer’s constant efforts have contributed to bring a paradigm shift in the domain in India. Today, TeleRad Providers has forged a stellar reputation as a brand that efficiently leverages technology to address the serious issue of shortage of doctors along with need for specialist opinion with quick turnaround times at hospital imaging centers even in tier II and III cities in India, Africa and Middle East.

To illustrate, this Delhi-based company has been closely associated with the Indian government’s National Rural Health Mission project, in offering remote radiology services for an interior location in North East, which solved their dire need for CT reporting among other requirements.“A CT scan is pretty useless unless some one interprets the images, while polytrauma surgeons don’t wish to perform a laparotomy or thoracotomy unless it’s necessary, even in remote India,” emphasizes Dr. Sumer.

Highly capable of connecting with any centre in the world, TeleRad Providers uses high quality, fully flexible, scalable and cost effective remote reporting solution. Its most up-to-date IT technology offers encrypted image transfer to the nodal point

of reporting through a secure digital computer network. Wielding the power of technology, the company views Plain film, CT and MRI images acquired locally or in another cities and presents accurate reports remotely, that too within a rapid turnaround – a key factor that sets TeleRad a part from its peer service providers. “We leverage latest technologies to deliver affordable, accessible and quality healthcare that transcends geography. We utilize secure, private HIPAA compliant video chat and messaging for individuals or groups,” proclaims Dr. Sumer.

Its state-of-the-art IT equipments facilitate its team to deliver high quality teleradiology reporting with the use of advanced Imaging technology such as DICOM viewer with advanced reporting panel with key images in the reports, Multimonitor reporting workstation to improve reporting quality, web based PACS and 3D & Multiplanar reconstructions for improved diagnostic accuracy. TeleRad's Tele medicine clinic utilizes a mix of internet and satellite technology and video-conferencing equipment to conduct a real-time consultation between medical specialists and patients.

Quality, Flexible & Affordable Radiology Services
Sub-specialty expertise being its forte, TeleRad's radiology consultations offer a doctor’s practice convenient access to expertise in a wide range of fields namely neuroradiology, musculo skeletal radiology, cardiac imaging, PET scanning, breast imaging & abdominal imaging, and enable the practitioners to build relationships with dedicated sub-specialists. The detail and accuracy provided by its team enriched with many sub-specialized radiologists is appreciated by many in the medical imaging industry. So much so that one hospital actually bought a 64 detector row CT scanner for coronary imaging, only on the reassurance that TeleRad’s radiologists will read the cardiac studies for them.

TeleRad Providers has forged a stellar reputation as a brand that efficiently leverages technology to address the serious issue of shortage of doctors along with need for specialist opinion with quick turnaround times at hospital imaging centers even in tier II and III cities

Since patients don’t always present themselves in regular patterns or fixed times,the company’s Remote Radiology Services help medical institutions to strike the right balance between preparedness and efficiency, and make optimum use of their time and resources while maintaining the highest standards of medical care.On numerous occasions, TeleRad has made a difference in patients’ lives through its second opinion website, where patients who have been diagnosed by other doctors upload their images seeking unbiased second opinion, and its team responds with the possibility of the opinion and quote.Dr. Sumer proudly averse, “Our team is proud to have made a difference in many a patient’s life by these second opinions”.

Understanding that every practice has different needs, the company offers flexible service structures & schemes to optimally assist them in managing their practice. Dr. Sumer even tailors a team of TeleRad medical professionals as per client’s need, who transfigure into a virtual extension of client’s pre existing team, working to the same exacting standards they set.He says, “We understand that every practice has different needs and we offer flexible schemes to optimally assist you in managing your practice”. The company provides a working partnership with independent sector healthcare providers to meet high quality, high volume clinical reporting service needs on a long term contract basis.

The Road Ahead
Teleradiology is a specialized wing

of telemedicine and is the forerunner. As the pioneer of medical Teleeducation and Teleradiology in India since 1999, Dr. Sumer has now taken the initiative to reach remote patients through telemedicine services like telep sychiatry and telediabetology. On the basis of initial response, his team is now contemplating various business models to create a viable proposition in these segments as well.As the acceptance for telemedicine is gradually picking up, TeleRad intends to keep expanding its services wing to include more and more offerings under its umbrella, while reaching to increasing number of hospitals nationwide.“We sincerely believe technology can make a difference by enabling Doctors to serve the people otherwise unreachable,” concludes a determined Dr. Sumer.

Panel:
Key Management:
Dr. Sumer Sethi, Founder & CEO
A Gold Medalist Radiologist, prominent TEDx Speaker, innovator and academician, Dr. Sumer brings almost two decades of experience of all the Radiological modalities. He has been invited to many National & International Teleradiology conferences, recognized as world’s top Radiology movers & shakers by RT Image Magazine and was among the only two Indians nominated by AuntMinnie.com in world’s top 14 radiology educators. Also the founder of DAMS SKY, India’s largest medical teleeducation network, Dr.Sumer is spreading knowledge through the longest running radiology blog in the world.

Dr. S.C. Sethi, Chairman
He is a very senior & reputed chest physician in Delhi who retired as in-charge of Chest Centre in Delhi. During his vast career in India and abroad, he has served in various hospitals in Delhi, Punjab and Middle East including Benghazi, &Libya.

Jitendra Sharma, Head – Operations
A healthcare business veteran for the last 19 years, Jitendra specializes in International Healthcare. Always looking for ways to leverage the latest available technologies, he handles the Branding, Online & Direct Marketing Segment along with media planning at TeleRad.

Awards & Recognition
. Received Digital Bharat 2015 Summit award by Shri Rajendra Pratap Gupta, Co-chair at Innovation Working Group, Asia and Prof Supten Sarbadhikari, CHI at National Health Portal at NIHFW
. featured in 2015 edition of Aunt Minnie, Global recognized Radiology magazine, which highlighted how Telerad’s work was making a difference in a developing country
. Featured in Arab Health’s Imaging and Diagnostics Magazine 2010, ‘International Perspective on Teleradiology’

Case Study
When PadamshreeDr. SS Yadav opened his dream project in his village Mirpur to provide all facilities to cancer patients, he hit a road block with lack of quality radiologists in his area and reluctance on the part of Doctors to relocate to a rural set up. Fortunately, he met Dr. Sumer Sethi, young and visionary radiologist, who is the pioneer in Teleradiology or remote radiology services in India, who explained to him how Teleradiology enable the flow of radiology expertise from areas of surplus to areas of requirement. Now, Mirpur Institute of Medical Sciences is linked using teleradiology technology to Dr. Sumer and his team at TeleRad Providers providing their expert opinion and through technology touching the life of rural cancer patients. Dr. Yadav was all praise for the team TeleRad Providers as he was happy to solve the logistic nightmare of getting reports of CT/MRI of his patients delivered to his doorstep via technology.