Dr Arjun Kalyanpur, CEO and Founder, Teleradiology Solutions, in an interaction with Raelene Kambli, speak about the trends in dianostic imaging in India in the year ahead
What are the new imaging techniques introduced in 2016?
Use of virtual reality imaging to image the foetus in utero is one of the new technique introduced in 2016. A demonstration of this was presented at the recent RSNA conference in Chicago.
Another area is Multi-spectral (multi-energy) CT which is a recently introduced technique for imaging of cardiovascular disease applications.
Quantitative Neuroimaging is an area of imaging that has greatly picked up momentum in 2016. Moreover, utilising advanced MRI sequences with algorithms that can process and analyse the data to generate objective and quantifiable data on conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and tumour imaging is an area that has been newly highlighted over the last year.
List three trends to look out for in 2017 in radiology?
Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence – The use of big data analytic tools in medical imaging is a rapidly evolving area in which there is a great interest worldwide, as it becomes evident that radiologic data is outstripping the skilled manpower (read radiologists) available for its interpretation.
Growth of teleradiology – Global radiologists continue unabated. Teleradiology solution to enhance productivity of radiologists worldwide and providing efficient tools for their interpretation, is a critical area to look for. Market reports point towards brisk growth in this sector of the healthcare industry.
3D printing technology combined with medical imaging – Medical imaging today has a strong 3D focus, and the use of modern 3D printing technologies in collaboration with 3D imaging workstations allows for generation of high quality 3D models of for example the pediatric heart, that can assist in planning of complex surgeries.
What role will digital technology play in transforming diagnostic imaging in India?
The digitisation of medical imaging is the key solution to the radiologist shortage crisis within India. This enables dignostic images to be transferred over a telecommunications network to a location where a radiologist is available to interpret the images. Given that most radiologists in India are located in metros, this allows patients in rural areas to benefit from their diagnostic skills without either the patient or the radiologist facing the need to travel. It also allows for immediate diagnosis in the emergency setting where the radiologist may not be available at the site of the emergency, but is available in another location to which the images can be transferred electronically, and will therefore greatly impact on emergency medical service delivery. It will also enhance subspeciality imaging as images of complex or rare medical conditions can be transferred to the appropriate specialist (neuroradiologist, cardiac radiologist, etc.) for a second opinion so that the highest quality of report can be obtained by the patient.
And how are radiology players leveraging digital technology to provide best radiology solutions to hospitals?
Radiologist groups in the US have for over a decade using digital technology to extend the reach of their practice via teleradiology, and radiologist groups in India are following their example. As an example a group of radiologists that covers three hospitals and five imaging centres can have a radiologist in any one of these locations reporting for all the centres simultaneously. This works best in the after-hours emergency situation and allows a teleradiology practice to efficiently report for multiple hospital sites without having to keep a radiologist awake through the night at each location. Innovative solutions such as the international model allow the radiologist to be located in a day time zone and report the night shift scans at a hospital on the other side of the world. Such practices allow for reporting to be done with extremely short turnaround time with high quality of service.
What will be your company focus for 2017?
Our focus is currently on growth and scale, while simultaneously remaining focussed on delivering high quality reports. Geographic expansion in Africa and the Gulf region as well as increasing sales within the United States are both focus areas. Engaging with state governments in India for teleradiology projects is another focus area. We will also be focused on growing our vertical Image Core Lab, which provides image analytics support for pharma and biotech companies engaged in clinical trials and research as well as to technology vendors require assistance in technology development. Increasing the reach of our radiology education portal www.radguru.net and our Telerad Foundation which provides pro-bono support to hospitals in remote areas, are also areas of interest.
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