Innovative Company Award 2005 Ayuntamiento de Barcelona
European E-Health Award 2003 EU Commission Legal notice
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Quality & Security
June 2008The PACS and Teleradiology Group awarded TMC senior radiologists for an e-poster on Double Reading of Brain MR at the UKRC. May 2008TMC senior radiologists win the Magna Cum Laude merit for an oral communication on “Quality Control of Teleradiology Reporting” at the SERAM congress in Sevilla (Spain). TMC has been ISO 9001 certified |
Quality & Security
Quality in healthcare is multifactorial. At TMC, it means |
| TURNAROUND TIME |
| It is essential for good patient care that the time between the initial referral from the clinician and the final decision on treatment is kept reasonably short. This means that the time for all imaging procedures should be kept as short as possible. TMC has developed an operational management system that can ensure the timely delivery of reports. We also have a security system that keeps track of every single patient exam from the receipt of referrals and images to the final delivery of reports, which includes all communications with local radiology department staff and referring clinicians. |
| MEDICAL QUALITY |
| To maintain a high level of quality in clinical diagnosis, our radiologists and medical directors follow strict protocols that include mandatory double reading of selected cases as well as internal and external audits. Radiologists at TMC are accredited sub-specialists who work in teams that report on specific diagnostic areas. A structured focus on sub-specialist reporting gives us the added edge to guarantee quality in a timely manner. Double reading, although offered as an optional service, is often recommended particularly for complex cases. With a highly developed double reading system in place, we can detect defined levels of discrepancies and any clinical significance that these discrepancies may have on the treatment of the patient. Internal audits whereby radiology section leaders over-read 2 to 3% of reports are performed regularly. We also encourage external audits, which are usually performed by our client hospitals on a monthly basis. |
| ACCREDITATION |
| To meet with strictest hospital, state and countrywide standards, we only employ radiologists who are accredited and registered with the national medical colleges and medical councils of the country. Before employment, radiologists have to pass an entry filter comprising of test cases and interviews. Our radiologists go through strict assessment and re-evaluation throughout their careers at TMC. They are encouraged to spend a substantial amount of their time on research, continuing medical education and are required to do clinical work through a structured CPD program. |
| REPORTING QUALITY |
| To ensure that our reports are clear and definitive for our referring radiology department and clinicians, we perform format and language checks. We respect the local needs of each client hospital in terms of format, specialist vocabulary and language. We, therefore, have Language Control and Case Management teams dedicated to monitoring and adapting reports to meet client requirements. Our Case Management team also verifies images and patient data, making sure that these are correctly matched. |
| COMMUNICATIONS |
| Facilitating dialogue between TMC radiologists and referring clinicians is an essential requisite for quality. We strive to build a long-term trust with our client hospitals through effective communications that would benefit our client clinicians and us. Our daily routine involves demonstrating radiology findings to our client clinicians as well as real-time rounds that include live demonstrations for hospital-based clinicians. We encourage our referring clinicians to send queries or feedback whenever there’s a doubt or a need to clarify. Our communications with referring clinicians is important not only for our clients but also for us as we learn, we revise and we enhance through experience. This is how we achieve a high level of quality. |
| SECURITY |
| We recognize that security is critical when dealing with patient data. We take patient confidentiality seriously. We ensure that image transfer and exchange of patient data are done via secure and encrypted network connections, adhering to EU data protection regulations. TMC is accredited through ISO 9001 for its well-structured internal processes and procedures. We are now working towards obtaining the ISO 27001 that will provide our client hospitals with the added assurance that we abide by the strictest Information Security Management System standards. |