INDICATIONS FOR THE CORRECT USE OF TELERADIOLOGY

In these days of emergency, there is a growing request from several quarters for the use of teleradiology as a form of smart working in line with the new work model which has spread to many areas in the country.

Considering that
– During an emergency, the highest degree of collaboration between the various organizational levels must be guaranteed;
– Smart working is an instrument of defense against the spread of the CORONA-19 virus and above all it is meant to protect the workers from contagion;
– It is appropriate to organize the work in a way that permits part of the staff to be absent from the workplace (using various administrative tools, such as leave of absence, overtime recovery, study leave, reorganization of work schedules, etc.) in order to protect the workers from the risk of contagion and possible disease.

It is necessary to remember that:
– Teleradiology is defined in its various aspects by precise guidelines issued by the National Institute for Healthcare (Istisan Guidelines 10/44);
– The validity of these guidelines was subsequently reaffirmed by the “Guidelines for procedures related to clinically tested radiological practices” (Art. 6, Legislative Decree No. 187/2000) published in the Official Journal (OJ) No. 261 of 26 November 2015;
– Law No. 24 of 8 March 2017 (called “the Gelli law”) in art. 5 clearly states that:
– Healthcare providers must follow the guidelines (Paragraph 3)
– The National Institute for Healthcare publishes the guidelines on its website (Paragraph 3)

In view of these considerations, monitoring is recommended in order to ensure that:
– The use of teleradiology (telemanagement) takes place in compliance with the guidelines in force and in a safe environment which meets the structural and technological requirements of a hospital activity;
– Teleconsulting carried out as smart working must in any case be recognized by the healthcare institutions as regular working hours and must be conducted according to the rules also in order to avoid insurance problems.

It is hardly necessary to repeat that:
– Radiology facilities can under no circumstances be active without the presence of a physician.
– Situations differing from what is established by the law must immediately be reported.

Thanking you in advance for your collaboration we remain yours sincerely

Corrado Bibbolino – Paolo Sartori

March 18 2020