Teleradiology equitable but more costly say Norwegians
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Teleradiology is a more equitable way of serving the rural Norwegian population but is not justified on cost-saving grounds, say researchers from the Institute of Community Medicine in Tromso. Drs Peder Andreas Halvorsen and Ivar Sonbo Kristiansen based their findings, which are published in the BMJ (May 25th), on the actual provision of X-ray services in the northern town of Alta and the surrounding countryside. Alta has a small nurse-operated X-ray unit, but no radiologists. More complex cases are sent 140 km to the nearest general hospital in Hammerfest.