Wet Read is one of three submission priorities on the RADical platform. It is the fastest option, and it is built around a question rather than a study.
Built around a question is the operative phrase. Every other priority is defined by a study and a clock; Wet Read is defined by what the clinic needs to know, which makes it the most direct form of remote interpretation on the platform.
The Definition
A wet-read is one where the clinic submits targeted, indication-specific questions which are specifically addressed by the radiologist. The clinic can request that the radiologist either make a call, or send a wet-read report. The same radiologist will provide the comprehensive final report before shift's end.
The definition makes the deliverable explicit. A Wet Read ends in one of two named outputs, a call or a written Wet Read report, and it is always followed by the comprehensive final report from the same radiologist. Nothing about the workflow is informal, even though the name has a working-day sound to it.
How the Workflow Runs
- The study is submitted with Wet Read selected and the clinical questions stated.
- A board-certified radiologist addresses those questions directly.
- The clinic receives a call or a Wet Read report, as requested.
- The same radiologist issues the comprehensive final report before shift's end.
Two details in that sequence do more work than they first appear. The radiologist addressing the questions is board-certified, the same standard as every other case. And the comprehensive final report comes from the same radiologist, so the immediate answer and the documented read carry one consistent interpretation.
Writing the Question
The quality of a Wet Read depends on the precision of the question. "Is there free abdominal gas" can be answered immediately. "Please review abdomen" cannot be answered any faster than a full read allows.
Good questions share a shape: they name the finding in doubt and the decision it gates. Is the free gas present, and does it change whether to take the patient to surgery? Is the cardiac silhouette enlarged enough to explain the cough? A question written that way can be answered the moment the radiologist opens the study.
Where It Sits Among the Priorities
Standard returns within 24 hours. STAT returns X-ray and Fluoroscopy within 1 hour and CT, Ultrasound and MR within 4 hours. Wet Read is for the case where the team cannot move forward at all until the question is answered. Guidance on choosing is in choosing the right priority.
The framework also keeps the priorities honest with each other. Because Wet Read exists for the case that cannot wait to start working, STAT carries the urgent cases where the team can keep moving, and Standard carries the rest. A clinic using all three deliberately spends the fastest option only where the wait is the cost.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions
How does RadsForVets define a Wet Read?
A wet-read is one where the clinic submits targeted, indication-specific questions which are specifically addressed by the radiologist. The clinic can request that the radiologist either make a call, or send a wet-read report. The same radiologist will provide the comprehensive final report before shift's end.
Is it a separate service or a priority?
It is one of three submission priorities, alongside Standard and STAT, chosen case by case at submission.
Who reads a Wet Read?
A radiologist certified by the American College of Veterinary Radiology or the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging, the same as every other case.
Does the clinic get a call or a written answer?
Either. The clinic can request that the radiologist make a call, or send a Wet Read report.
What should the submission contain?
Targeted, indication-specific questions. The more precise the question, the more directly the radiologist can address it.
Does a comprehensive report still follow?
Yes, from the same radiologist, before shift's end.
Which species are eligible?
Dogs, cats and exotics. Exotic studies carry a best-effort 24-hour commitment.
Can the clinic choose a call and still get the written report?
Yes. The call or Wet Read report is the immediate answer, and the comprehensive final report follows from the same radiologist before shift's end.
How does Wet Read relate to Real-Time Chat?
They work together. The Wet Read answers the submission's targeted questions, and Real-Time Chat on the case covers the questions that come up afterwards.
Related reading
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