Gonzalo Tardáguila, technical director of the Ribera Salud Radiological Ring.
reduce the radiologist workload, palliate the deficit of these specialists and obtain the results of the tests in less time. These are three of the advantages offered by the radiological ring launched by Ribera Salud as indicated Gonzalo Tardáguila, technical director of this tool, in an interview with Medical Writing.
The health group activated the first radiological ring at the beginning of this year super-specialized by organ system of Spain, to carry out reports and second opinions, signed by professionals in abdominal, neurological, chest, musculoskeletal, breast and otolaryngology radiology. No delays or waiting lists, because the study report is done remotely. With this system, in the words of Tardáguila, “there are quality reports in less time so that there are no delays in diagnosis”.
On the other hand, the technical director of the Ribera Salud radiological ring trusts that it will be implanted every time in more specialties such as Dermatology and Cardiology since part of their work “can be done remotely”. Finally, Tardáguila values this tool to improve both patient access to clinical trials as well as to promote your own relationship with your doctor.
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Complete interview with Gonzalo Tardáguila, technical director of the Ribera Salud radiological ring. |
What is the super-specialized radiological ring by organ system?
Radiology is a Medical speciality in which distance is not an impediment. A study carried out in Madrid, Vigo or Valencia can be reported by a radiologist who is on the other side of the world because it is still a digital image.
There is a lack and radiologist shortage in Spain, in Europe and even in the United States. These factors, together with the boom in teleworking, have led to the development of systems such as the radiological ring. It is a group of radiologists who report remotely of studies carried out in other centers.
Ribera Salud’s radiological ring tries to differentiate itself by the quality it offers for its organization by organs and systems. Our radiologists only report those studies in which they are specialized: thorax and abdomen, neuro, breast, musculoskeletal, etc. They work on their area of maximum knowledge and this is our added value.
What are the benefits of this project for radiologists?
Not only is it an extra activity or a source of income, but it also helps The conciliation. Before, when someone wanted to earn more money, they had to have availability, schedules and be physically in a place. Now the radiologist receives a list with studies that he has to report and he organizes himself, he can reconcile with his family life.
And for the patients?
are offered quality reports in less time, with which they have the results of the tests sooner and that also improves the organization. The patient will always know which radiologist has made his report.
In addition, the lack of radiologists in hospitals means that studies accumulate unable to inform them. With these teleradiology services and with the Ribera Salud ring, what we do is that when the patient goes to the consultation, they have the test results there and no delays.
This also influences the reduction of waiting lists to receive the report, that is, when the study is done and a radiologist has to report it. It is not necessary to make an appointment with the patient once more, there are no delays in diagnosis, nor an increase in the care burden for our colleagues.
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Tardáguila considers that Covid-19 has been “the push” of teleradiology. |
Has Covid-19 driven this teleradiology?
Covid-19 has been the push that we needed, because teleradiology already it was an embryo that was beginning to take shape. The necessary equipment has been installed so that radiologists can work remotely and society has given the go-ahead.
Can ring data analysis be implemented in multicenter studies?
One of the ways to improve clinical trials and their quality is make them multicentric. That is, several centers participate in the trial. With the radiological ring we have centralized all images of our hospitals and that already allows us to have more patients who are candidates to work in these clinical trials. In addition, it makes it easier to maintain anonymity and comply with all the ethical guarantees that are needed for the investigation.
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“With Ribera’s radiological ring, patients can access clinical trials from other places” |
Does it improve access to trials for patients?
With this system, patients can access who, otherwise, they would be left out for being in a hospital or in a more distant city where there is not always the possibility of having these tests, which are usually done in the big hospitals.
What role does this ring have in coordinating the different Ribera Salud centers?
First, we report the excess of studies that the centers cannot assume due to the lack of radiologists. We as professionals are not mere report writers, we do more things like biopsies or guided treatments imaging in interventional radiology. In the area of radiology of the breast, the role of the radiologist and the contact with the patients is essential.
On the other hand, we complain that there are no radiologists but we have to have time to train our residents and that in the future there will be more specialists. The ring not only eliminates those workloads, but allows radiologists who are physically in hospitals loosen up a bit on the part of informing and being able to do all these other things that give added value and that it is very important that we continue to maintain.
The integration with the centers has always been very good because the radiologists appreciate that let’s lend a hand and that they can dedicate themselves to other things of their work that are very important.
“Any patient who needs a medical imaging test can benefit from this tool” |
Is multidisciplinary work essential to use the full potential of the radiological ring? What specialties work with him?
The specialties that work with us are all those that request a medical test image. Multidisciplinarity in Medicine is already something that is here to stay. We have a number of expert radiologists at each of the centers and they can see the more complicated reports or cases and participate in the multidisciplinary committees thanks to the ring For example, Julia Camps, an expert doctor in the breast area, connects remotely to all the committees of all our hospitals to contribute her experience, but previously she has been able to see the cases that are going to be presented because we have them in the ring.
Is it complicated to coordinate all the health actors involved?
It looks complicated, but it is not. All the centers -public and private- have a study overload that they cannot inform and our vision is to go to help them. We offer a service to try to solve this situation and a very fluid communication. We have an added value in terms of quality, we try to make quality prevails regarding the amount.
What diseases is it intended for?
For all. Any patient who at any time during his illness needs a medical imaging test. The radiological ring will be able to inform you and we will be able to help you.
The doctor-patient relationship can be “more fluid” thanks to Ribera Salud’s radiological ring. |
What pathologies are the most seen?
We work a lot with Oncology, These patients often go for medical tests to see what the condition is like. evolution of your tumor depending on the treatments that are given. That supposes a very large volume of studies, we compare with previous studies and we can tell the patient if he is answering or not to the treatment that your doctor has prescribed.
Is it expected to expand its use in other areas?
We not only have Radiology, we are also beginning to do procedures of clinical neurophysiology remotely, but there are other specialties such as Dermatology or Cardiology where part of their work can also be done remotely. We are trying to introduce them to the ring as well and let them see that it is a collaboration that is useful for all.
Is greater public-private coordination expected with this system?
If we want to keep a high quality healthcare system like the one we have in Spain and that, moreover, is universal and free, coordination between public and private entities is absolutely necessary. We inform and do work for public health hospitals outside our group. Collaboration is excellent.
In this case, the study report is done remotely. Is that the future of medicine?
It is the present of Medicine. Teleradiology is here to stay and we have to see it as another tool. The center of medicine is doctor-pacient relationship and we are not going to change that. Teleradiology can help make that relationship better, more fluid and with more confidence, because doctors will have their studies informed in time and be more liberated in order to interact with the patient.
Tardáguila reflects on the need for public-private coordination to have a “high-quality health system.” |
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