Teleradiology is a vital field that has integrated communication and healthcare. The promptness of transmission of radiological images from one location to another has been a revolutionary concept in the field of medicine.

This facilitates the interpretation of non-invasive imaging studies like X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, and nuclear medicine, eliminating the need for an on-site expert. The demand in the teleradiology field is increasing rapidly to assist hospital services in timely diagnosis and specialty expertise requirements.

West Indies Radiology Outsourcing Limited (WIROL)  has been involved in this field since 2005 with “Accessibility with Accuracy” as its motto. It has exhibited its expertise and efficiency to come up with prompt solutions and strategies to overcome any problems in the Caribbean region. It has kept cybersecurity and protection of the privacy of the clients’ data as the utmost priority and has integrated good healthcare with subspecialty coverage.

There has been an increasing acceptance of telemedicine and virtual care. The pandemic too, played an important role in increasing the demand for telemedicine. The market now demands an expert remote presence armed with stellar support in diagnosis. With advancements in technology, the teleradiology sector has come up with innovative solutions to meet the surging demands.  This is where WIROL has made a promising difference.

The entire healthcare unit has often been overtaxed, and the solutions offered by WIROL relieve them by providing full or partial coverage, to fill the gaps in required facilities. The company contributes to the Public Health System by providing a service to private facilities, so that patients can avoid long waiting times to get scans in public health institutions, where the demand is comparatively greater.

The system WIROL has devised can also be used in the emergency diagnosis of patients, thus relieving the doctors or radiologists on duty. It will not just stop at that phase either. The company has plans for digitizing even the referrals and reports systems such that patients can receive their results on mobile devices. This is a part of its vertical integration strategy to use smart devices that everyone possesses now to keep them in the loop.

Using mobile applications and software to let people access timely diagnosis and opinions of experts would save time, money, and make it relatively stress-free.  WIROL has helped revolutionize this concept in the Caribbean, making healthcare diagnosis accessible at people’s fingertips.

The major challenges faced by WIROL, include the fact that there are still reservations in the region about the use of teleradiology as a substitute for an on-site radiologist, and the IT or broadband infrastructure within the region.

The testimonials of the people who have used this system constructed by WIROL have been well above satisfactory.[s3]  What contributes most to the healthcare aspect is the unremittingly prompt service it offers which is seamlessly performed. The workflow of the facility is designed to reduce the burden of everyone involved yet maintaining efficiency.

There is emergency coverage also offered which is highly beneficial to the clients. WIROL is using a combination of Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) and Radiology Information Systems (RIS) to keep a record of patient data and reports.

The unique concept that WIROL employs is integrating all their services into the client’s workflow so that they receive all information seamlessly. By making its services economically feasible for patients to avail emergency healthcare services, WIROL tires to ensure faster treatment, and minimize the time spent in the hospital. In order to raise public awareness of these services, it conducts webinars regularly to promote the benefits of Teleradiology.

“Since about 2007 we changed to the WIROL service. Now, day or night we can get results on average within an hour,” says Cheryl Rose, Manager of Radiology Department, in Andrews Memorial Hospital, Jamaica.

She has also shared that there has been improvement in diagnosis and patient response time after the implementation of WIROL. The company has great visions of improving and developing more.

“We are specifically looking for opportunities within the region and outside of the region,” says Roger Graham, General Manager. “Outside of the Caribbean, we are looking at the possibility of expanding our footprint to locations where we would have a competitive advantage in night time coverage.” The main hurdles in its expansion, include the level of acceptance of teleradiology, and the IT infrastructure within the region. However, the company is confident it can address and tackle any issues.

West Indies Radiology Outsourcing Limited has enhanced its platform strategies and implemented them very effectively. The healthcare field is undergoing a major revolution with the integration of digitization, and WIROL is a major part of it.