It’s just a matter of time before more specialists rely on outsourced assistance, predicts the Los Angeles Times, which examined the trend of radiologists working in Switzerland, England, France, Australia, and the Middle East making and confirming diagnoses for patients in the U.S. Hospitals are using the outsourcing to relieve stress and night hours for radiologists here; however, there is also the potential for cost savings. Although the contract radiologists abroad are American trained, board certified, and licensed from the state where the images are taken, critics of the outsourcing worry that the practice is damaging quality of care, that lines of accountability are unclear, and that hospitals will be held liable for malpractice committed abroad.
