Navigating Challenges in Teleradiology Implementation: A Case Study from Saudi Arabia's Healthcare System

Teleradiology is the practice of interpreting medical images acquired in an off-site location. Teleradiology has been utilized widely around the world to address the needs for subspecialty coverage, workload balancing, and as a solution for understaffing. This study aims to assess the perceptions of teleradiology among radiologists in Saudi Arabia, investigate any challenges they might face, and explore strategies that would help mitigate those challenges.

A cross-sectional study using a self-administered electronic questionnaire was conducted to collect responses from radiologists practicing or having practiced teleradiology in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was conducted from January to June 2023, and 105 responses were included in the analysis. The responses were analyzed using chi-squared testing to investigate factors affecting the radiologists' perceptions.

The most common challenges for teleradiology were access to patients' health records, access to prior imaging exams, and concerns about image quality assurance. Around 74% of participants perceived teleradiology to be beneficial for geographic, after-hour, and subspecialties coverage. Teleradiology was also perceived to help reduce the turn-around time of radiology interpretations. Better communication with referring physicians and technologists was seen as a way to help improve teleradiology services.

The findings suggest that the perception of teleradiology's challenges and benefits may not be influenced by experience, workplace, or subspecialty. Emphasis should be placed on the importance of quality assurance of images acquired remotely. Addressing the concerns and challenges related to access to patients' health records is also crucial to ensuring the successful implementation of teleradiology in the country.