Teleradiology refers to the practice of a radiologist interpreting medical images while not physically present in the location where the images are generated. Hospitals, mobile imaging companies, urgent care facilities and even some private practices utilize teleradiology.

The main idea behind the use of teleradiology is that it is expensive to have a radiologist on-site. On the other hand, using a teleradiology service enables you to pay on a per exam basis, and sometimes the cost is low and the service is available for longer time. For facilities requiring 24/7 services, or those that have a small volume of radiology patients, it can provide a huge savings.

Patient care is improved by teleradiology by making it possible for radiologists to provide their services without needing to be in the same location as the patient. That is especially important whenever a sub-specialist like a musculoskeletal radiologist, pediatric radiologist, neuroradiologist or MRI radiologist is needed, given that usually these professionals work in large metropolitan areas during day hours. However, teleradiology makes it possible to have access to trained specialists on a 24/7 basis.

In order to define exactly what teleradiology is, a good place to start is defining the word radiology first. Radiology is a type of imaging technique that physicians use for taking images of the internal part of the body. This is usually done for either treatment or diagnosis. Ultrasounds, MRIs and x-rays are examples.