Teleradiology in Africa and the Middle East
In Africa and the Middle East, rural communities lack access to expertise in medical imaging. An innovative AI-assisted teleradiology platform has merged existing technologies to create a dynamic new platform. The new tool will enable remote experts to view patient medical scans in rural areas, providing equitable access to services for underserved patient groups.
How teleradiology is shaping modern healthcare
The advent of telemedicine is revolutionising medical care as we know it. It means medical testing and diagnostic reporting can take place remotely using telecommunications. The medical expert and the patient no longer need to be in the same room. Nor even the same country: telemedicine transcends geographical borders.
The hospital medical imaging (radiology) department has made giant strides in the wake of teleradiology. In this department our X-rays and CT, MRI and ultrasound scans are taken. Amongst the different fields of medical practice, medical imaging is the most technical of branches. It is not surprising therefore that radiology stands at the forefront of innovation.
Teleradiology has really taken off, especially in the UK, America and Germany. It is now an everyday tool for many radiologists. Teleradiology enables consultants to quickly transfer patient data to other specialists, in case of an emergency situation or for a second opinion. Doctors can readily manipulate 3D images and visualise them in a variety of different ways, evening merging modalities when required (by superimposing different kinds of scans to obtain data).
Teleradiology: Bringing Remote Experts to Remote Places
Teleradiology is accelerating and fast becoming a global market. The technology offers the real prospect of bringing radiological practice to the remotest of regions. Rural geographical areas lack equitable access to medical care.
Notwithstanding the enormity of advances in teleradiology, radiology itself lags behind other medical specialities in terms of staffing. There is currently a drastic shortage of radiological personnel ––from the diagnostic radiographers performing our X-rays and scans to the radiologists who interpret the images to make an accurate diagnosis.
This is one area where technology cannot much help. The interpretation of medical images remains very much in human hands. Yet, as well as acute shortages of radiological staff, the emergence of teleradiology has precipitated increased demands on services.
Figure 1 Radiologists interpret medical scans to make accurate diagnoses (credit: photo by Tima Miroshnichenko)
If the problems of staff scarcity place a burden on large city hospitals, what does this mean for remote regions? There is a serious lack of radiological care in some parts of Ethiopia, for example. A key solution is to bring medical expertise to remote places with teleradiology.
A new teleradiology platform has been rolled out in 9 countries across the Middle East and Africa. Rology has recently received clearance by the Federal Drugs Administration (FDA) ––the US governmental agency responsible for protecting public health. Getting clearance is no mean feat. Many companies have fallen by the wayside on the path to obtaining such clearance.
That Rology got there is testament to the efficiency and safety standards met by the platform. Top quality results in the form of radiology reports can be harnessed in under 30 minutes, 24 hours a day. The security of patient data is of the utmost importance and the platform is required to uphold strict cybersecurity practices to meet ethical and safety standards. As Amr Abodraiaa, CEO of Rology says,
“Without a doubt, this marks a monumental moment for the industry. We’ve long recognized the need to challenge the traditional bounds […] we’re not just integrating technology but reshaping the very fabric of teleradiology. Our platform stands as a testament to innovation and the commitment to deliver only the best to our clients.”
Amr Abodraiaa, CEO of Rology
The platform is the first on-demand 2-sided teleradiology solution of its kind. The innovative AI-assisted technology merges two existing radiological systems ––PACS (picture archiving and communications system) and DICOM (software used for image manipulation) ––while also introducing novel features. Crucially the platform performs a matching function to pair the data (patient image) with the best-fit specialist to interpret it.
Figure 1 Rology’s 2-sided, on-demand teleradiology platform
In the wake of FDA clearance, the platform holds much promise. Already over 600, 000 lives have been saved. The platform is changing the face of cancer care. The new kit has already proven indispensable in a crisis situation. When Storm Daniel recently swept across Eastern Libya, resulting in colossal flooding, teleradiology was indispensable to pairing expert consultancy with medical personnel on the ground.
The platform offers real hope of democratising health care through bringing reliable radiological services to underserved groups. There are no barriers according to socioeconomic status, gender (and other parameters) that have so far limited accessibility to quality patient care. Teleradiology accounts for 70% of lower socio-economic scans performed. The advent of new tools in radiology is already helping us to picture a better future in equitable healthcare for all.
References
Davis, M. (2023) Teleradiology: Scanning the Horizon. LaingBuisson.com. Online: https://www.laingbuissonnews.com/healthcare-markets-content/inlaw-healthcare-markets-content/teleradiology-scanning-the-horizon/.
Reponen, J. and Niinimäki, J. (2021) Emergence of Teleradiology, PACS and other Radiology IT Solutions. Acta Radiologica. Doi: 10.1177/02841851211051003.
Rology (2023) Rology Earns the First FDA Clearance for a 2-sided and On-demand Teleradiology Platform. Press release, October 2023.
Rology (2023) Revolutionizing Healthcare Access: How Teleradiology Can Bridge The Gap? Webinar, 4thOctober 2023.
This news story was also posted as an article on 6th October 2023.