Teleradiology: A Case Study Of The Economic And Legal Considerations In International Trade In Telemedicine

• Published in: Health Affairs Vol. 25; no. 5; pp. 1378 - 1385
• Main Authors: McLean, Thomas R, Richards, Edward P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Health Affairs 01.09.2006; The People to People Health Foundation, Inc., Project HOPE
• Subjects: Accreditation; Commerce - legislation & jurisprudence; Competition; Cost control; Costs; Economics; Health care expenditures; Hospitals; Humans; India; International trade; Internationality; Liability; Liability insurance; Liability, Legal - economics; Licenses; Malpractice - economics; Malpractice - legislation & jurisprudence; Medical malpractice; Medicare; Organizational Case Studies; Physicians; Radiology; Robotic surgery; Studies; Telemedicine; Teleradiology - economics; Teleradiology - legislation & jurisprudence; United States; United States; India; United States > US
• ISSN: 0278-2715; 1544-5208
• DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.25.5.1378

Growth in the global market for telemedical services is being driven by economics. Two operational models are already recognizable. "Nighthawk" providers are virtually indistinguishable from their domestic counterparts with respect to medical malpractice liability and price for service. Indian providers, in contrast, offer deep price discounts on services, but jurisdictional loopholes are likely to allow these providers a method to avoid medical malpractice liability. Hospitals that outsource their radiology services need to be aware of these differences, because hiring Indian telemedical providers will likely result in a shift of medical malpractice liability from providers to hospitals.