1. Who reads the case
Ask whether every case, at every priority, is read by a board-certified radiologist, and whether the reading radiologist is named. Certification can be verified directly through acvr.org. At RadsForVets, every case, STAT or not, is read by an ACVR- or ECVDI-certified radiologist, drawn from a team of approximately 30 radiologists spread globally.
2. How urgency is handled
A service with one speed forces every case into the same queue. Ask how many submission priorities exist and when each is chosen. RadsForVets offers three: Standard within 24 hours, STAT in 1 hour for x-ray and fluoroscopy and within 4 hours for CT, MR and Ultrasound, and Wet Read as the fastest option, read while you wait. The choice is made case by case at submission.
3. What the report looks like
Read a sample before committing. The question is not whether the findings are thorough but how quickly you reach the answer. Reports that lead with prioritized diagnoses and recommendations, followed by comprehensive findings, put the clinical decision at the top of the page instead of the bottom.
- Are differentials ranked, or simply listed?
- Are recommendations specific enough to act on today?
- Are limitations of the study stated plainly?
- Is there anything beyond text, such as video, when a finding is hard to describe?
4. How you reach the radiologist
Every report eventually produces a question. Ask what happens next. Per-case Real-Time Chat puts the question on the case itself and reaches the reading radiologist in seconds, with separate threads for the clinic and radiologist, the clinic and Operations Team, and the radiologists and Operations Team.
5. How it fits your software
Reports that inject into the matching radiology order in ezyVet or Instinct remove a filing step from every case, and the supported list is constantly growing. Ask which systems are supported and what happens for systems that are not yet on the list.
6. Coverage and commitment
- Which modalities are covered: x-ray, Ultrasound, CT, MR and fluoroscopy?
- Which species: dogs, cats and exotics?
- Is the service staffed at every hour, including nights, weekends and holidays?
- Is there a contract, a sign-up fee or a minimum case volume?
Frequently asked questions
How do I verify a radiologist is board-certified?
Ask for the reading radiologist's full name and check the public Diplomate directory of the American College of Veterinary Radiology at acvr.org, or the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging directory. Descriptions such as residency-trained are not the same credential.
What should I look for in a sample report?
Where the conclusion sits, whether differentials are ranked, whether recommendations are specific enough to act on, and whether limitations are stated honestly. A report that opens with prioritized diagnoses and recommendations saves reading time on every case.
How many submission priorities should a service offer?
Enough to match clinical reality. RadsForVets offers three: Standard, STAT and Wet Read, chosen case by case at submission, so a stable recheck and a crashing patient are not forced into the same queue.
Why does practice software integration matter?
Because a report sitting in an email is a report someone has to file. Reports that inject into the matching radiology order in ezyVet or Instinct remove a manual step from every single case.
What should I ask about communication?
Ask how a question reaches the radiologist who read the case. Per-case Real-Time Chat reaches the reading radiologist in seconds, which is a different experience from a general phone line.
Are contracts and case minimums normal?
They vary. RadsForVets requires no contract, no sign-up fee and no minimum case volume; payment is per case completed, so a practice can scale usage to its caseload.
Related: onboarding, modality pages and the full FAQ list.