Rural teleradiology: a snapshot

A national survey was conducted among rural hospitals active in teleradiology and their affiliated health care providers to delineate the current status of rural telemedicine. 109 telemedicine programs were identified that use teleradiology as well as other telemedicine applications, and 340 programs were identified that use only teleradiology. Programs that use only teleradiology have been in operation longer than programs that combine teleradiology with other telemedicine services. Most teleradiology facilities are adjacent to small metropolitan areas or in more rural counties with a population of at least 2500. Only 22% of the teleradiology-only facilities spend more than $60,000 on initial equipment, and annual transmission costs average less than $4,000 for most facilities. Ordinary copper telephone lines are the transmission medium most commonly used for transfer of radiology images. Radiographs and CT scans are the types of studies most commonly transmitted, followed by MRI and nuclear medicine studies.