What matters most when choosing a teleradiology company?
The short answer
Five things decide most outcomes: whether reports are signed finals or preliminaries, who exactly reads for you, how critical results are called and documented, how turnaround is measured and reported, and whether the price has surcharges. Get each answer in writing, then check it against the first month’s scorecard.
- 12questions to ask every vendor
- 5that decide most outcomes
- In writingevery answer, before you sign
The 12 questions
- 01
Are your reports signed finals or preliminaries?
Preliminaries leave your group re-reading the night. Ask what share of reports are finals. (See preliminary vs final reads.)
- 02
Who exactly will read for us?
Ask for named radiologists, and whether the same readers cover you night after night.
- 03
Are they licensed in our state and credentialed here?
Every reader must be licensed in your state and privileged at your hospital before reading.
- 04
Who builds the credentialing files?
Ask whether the provider completes your application and verifies through an NCQA-certified CVO, or hands your office a stack of paper.
- 05
How are critical results called?
Ask for the time standard, whether every call is read back, and whether name, role and time are logged.
- 06
How is turnaround measured?
From images complete to signed final is the honest clock. Ask for medians and the share inside target, by priority.
- 07
Do stroke studies go to the top automatically?
Or does the ED have to call? See stroke imaging turnaround.
- 08
Who answers the phone at 3 AM?
A person, or a queue? Ask for the number your ED will call.
- 09
Is there a named backup every night?
Coverage that depends on one person is a risk. Ask who reads if that person is unavailable.
- 10
What do we see every month?
Ask for a sample scorecard: turnaround, critical calls and peer review.
- 11
How is it priced, and what are the surcharges?
Per study or per wRVU, and whether STAT, after-hours or weekend reads cost more. See how teleradiology pricing works.
- 12
How long to go live, and what does our IT team do?
Ask for a dated plan. A provider should handle credentialing and connection in parallel.
What good answers look like
| Question | Answer to look for | Answer to push back on |
|---|---|---|
| Report type | Signed finals in your format | Preliminaries, re-read in the morning |
| Readers | Named, licensed in your state, privileged at your hospital | “A pool of board-certified radiologists” |
| Critical results | A time standard, read-back, logged name, role and time | “We follow best practices” |
| Turnaround | Images complete to signed final, reported monthly | An average with no definition |
| Backup | A named backup reader, already credentialed | Not specified |
| Pricing | One monthly bill, no surcharges | Add-ons for STAT, nights or weekends |
| Onboarding | A dated plan, credentialing started day one | “Usually a few months” |
How TeleRads answers the 12
- Signed finals in your format, every report
- Radiologists licensed in your state and approved by your medical staff office before they read
- Credentialing files built for you through an NCQA-certified CVO, built to Joint Commission standards
- Critical results called within 15 minutes, read back, logged with name, role and time
- Stroke studies read first, and one number answered by a person
- A named backup reader every night, already credentialed at your hospital
- A monthly scorecard with turnaround, critical calls and peer review
- One monthly bill, per study or per wRVU; no STAT, after-hours or weekend surcharges, and reads outside the agreed turnaround aren’t charged
- Live in 30 days for most hospitals; one-year term, then 90 days’ notice
Already have a provider? Our guide to switching teleradiology providers shows how to change without a gap.
Questions
How do I choose a teleradiology company?
Ask every vendor the same questions in writing: report type, who reads, licensing and credentialing, critical-results handling, how turnaround is measured, stroke prioritization, backup coverage, monthly reporting, pricing and surcharges, and onboarding time.
What is the most important question to ask a teleradiology provider?
Whether reports are signed finals or preliminaries. Preliminaries leave your own radiologists re-reading the night’s studies.
How should teleradiology turnaround be measured?
From when the images are complete on the radiologist’s list to the signed final, reported by priority, with the share of studies inside the target, not just an average.
Should teleradiology pricing include surcharges?
It doesn’t have to. TeleRads charges one monthly bill, per study or per wRVU, with no STAT, after-hours or weekend surcharges.
How long does it take to start with a new teleradiology company?
Most hospitals are live with TeleRads in 30 days, with credentialing and the IT connection running in parallel.