October 28, 2010 – A new report from research firm KLAS has found that hospitals and clinics now hold close to 40 percent of teleradiology contracts. This represents a dramatic shift, since local radiology groups have traditionally held those contracts.
“It was surprising to see this shift in teleradiology contracts from radiology groups to a mixture that includes radiology groups, hospitals and clinics. In several situations teleradiology decisions are being made at the health system level,” said Emily Crane, KLAS research director and author of the report.
The inaugural Teleradiology Study 2010: A Detailed Read on the Market report reviews four national and four smaller teleradiology vendors. Of these, smaller teleradiology companies showed performance scores as high as—and in some cases higher than—large, national companies.
“National companies like NightHawk and vRad still get the most attention from providers,” Crane said. “However, some regional vendors, such as NightRays and Alta Vista, are delivering flexibility, communication and read quality that is highly competitive with the national vendors in this study.”
The study also noted that 80 percent of interviewed providers anticipating increased teleradiology volumes over the next few years.
For more information: www.KLASresearch.com/reports