The Purview Blog

While Thanksgiving may have looked different for many this year, one thing will not be canceled: #GivingTuesday. People are in need, some now more than ever. If you are looking for an opportunity to give this year, please consider donating to the Mike Shane Memorial Fund. We are shamelessly asking for donations to this charity specifically because it is close to our hearts here at Purview. 

Currently, many imaging centers are losing revenue due to the volume decrease of elective procedures, dwindling insurance reimbursement, and the general lack of traffic due to the global pandemic. This has left many imaging centers trying to stay afloat in an increasingly competitive environment. We empathize with the larger issues that imaging centers are facing right now amidst the covid-19 pandemic, and we realize that many may not have the ability to lift their heads long enough to see where there is a leak in the boat. So we thought it may be helpful to highlight some common inefficiencies and ways that they can be resolved to save time and money so that imaging centers can focus on the larger issues that the healthcare industry is currently facing.

We understand that referring physicians are the lifeblood of an imaging center’s bottom line. The inefficiencies that can affect an imaging practice the greatest will be the source of the highest volume of traffic: referring physicians. Adjusting how imaging centers and referring physicians communicate can be a simple way to make an imaging center more efficient. Many referring physicians have specific ways of doing business, but may not realize how much time and money is wasted on the outdated methods. Let’s discuss some ways that imaging centers can increase efficiency as it relates to communicating with referring physicians.

The words “Virtual Care” have taken center stage in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic, but what does virtual care really mean?

Virtual Care is a broad term that encompasses countless telehealth strategies. A common mistake is to think about Virtual Care as a binary rather than a continuum. Virtual Care isn’t something you either have or you don’t, but rather it’s a collection of tools from which to choose. Each practice must determine which tools to place in its Virtual Care Toolbox based on the patient constituents it serves.

Just like a plumber needs different tools than an electrician, your Virtual Care Toolbox should be customized to the job you are performing. A complete review of your patient interaction points, the demographic makeup of your customers, and even your geography all contribute to which telehealth tools to select. With all these considerations, you might be tempted to just throw extra tools in the toolbox to cover your bases, but be careful as having unnecessary tools isn’t always a good thing either, as it can make it harder to find the right tools when you really need them.

So how do you know which Virtual Care tools are right for your practice?

The first step is knowing what tools are available and their main functions. Below we will discuss some of the most common Virtual Care tools in the market today.

AnimalScan is a leading provider of animal imaging services in the US. Their branded outpatient imaging centers, located on both coasts, are fully equipped diagnostic facilities that contain the most advanced scanning equipment. They are the leader when it comes to animal MRI with each center staffed with a team of experienced radiologists, technologists, and anesthesiologists. AnimalScan also partners with specialty vets by leasing and servicing scanners in their own locations and work directly with referring vets to source their off premises imaging needs. With a growing number of locations across the United States, professionals in the veterinary industry are becoming familiar with the AnimalScan name. However, not many people know the story of how AnimalScan originated.

If you are like most practices, the words “virtual care” have become critical to your survival this year. With the changes the world has faced as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, facilities that once relied exclusively on in-person treatment have been forced to explore ways to meet their patients’ needs without always seeing them face-to-face. By this point in time, most practices are aware of telehealth software that can enable a virtual meeting with a patient. These programs allow physicians to talk through simple issues with patients during a live video consultation. But what about complex or chronic issues? What if your practice offers specialized care that requires an assessment of a patient’s case history?

Basic telehealth software does not typically have an answer for these questions as the systems lack a comprehensive method for records aggregation and presentation. It’s for these cases that your virtual care toolbox needs to include a method for Remote Second Opinions. But what is a Remote Second Opinion (RSO)?

Well, I’m glad you asked…