Before the first case
Teleradiology fails in practices not because the reads are wrong but because the submission habit never forms. Decide these four things before anyone uploads a study.
- Who submits. Name one lead technician who owns uploads and image quality, with a second trained as backup for nights and vacation.
- Who sets the priority. The attending veterinarian chooses Standard, STAT or Wet Read, because the choice is clinical, not administrative.
- Where the report lands. Confirm your practice software connection so reports arrive in the matching radiology order rather than an inbox.
- What gets sent. Agree which case types go out by default, so the decision is not remade under pressure at 2 AM.
Week One
Days one and two
Send two or three Standard cases you have already read yourself. Comparing your read with the report is the fastest way for the team to calibrate, and it costs nothing clinically because the patients are stable.
Days three and four
Run one case through Real-Time Chat. Ask a follow-up question on the case thread and watch how quickly it comes back. Teams that never try this keep treating a report as a one-way document.
Day five
Submit your first urgent case, choosing STAT or Wet Read. Doing this deliberately during a calm shift means the first genuine emergency is not also the first time anyone has used the priority.
Write the history like it matters
A radiologist reading a study with no history reports what is visible. A radiologist reading the same study with signalment, duration, bloodwork and a specific question reports what it means for that patient. Include:
- Signalment and weight.
- Presenting complaint and how long it has been present.
- Relevant bloodwork values and any treatment already given.
- Prior imaging, if any, and the question you want answered.
Standard, STAT and Wet Read
There are three priorities and the choice is made case by case at submission. Standard studies are returned within 24 hours. STAT x-ray and fluoroscopy studies are returned in 1 hour, and STAT CT, MR and Ultrasound within 4 hours. Wet Read is the fastest option, read while you wait, where you submit targeted questions the radiologist addresses directly, with the comprehensive report following from the same radiologist before shift's end. Details are in the priority guide.
Reviewing after month one
- How many cases went out, and which case types are still being kept in-house by habit?
- Were any studies limited by image quality, and what caused it?
- Did the team use Real-Time Chat, or are questions still going unasked?
- Are reports reaching the right place in the record automatically?
Practices that review the first month tend to double their usage in the second, because the answer to every friction point is a small habit, not a new service.
Frequently asked questions
How long does onboarding take?
Setup is light. Most practices are submitting cases the same day their account is created, because the platform runs in the browser and needs no installed software.
Who on the team should own the process?
One lead technician and one veterinarian. The technician owns submission and image quality, the veterinarian owns the clinical question and the priority. Splitting it across everyone leaves gaps in Week One.
Do we need new equipment or software?
No. Studies are submitted as standard DICOM from your existing equipment, and the platform is compatible with all major browsers.
What should we put in the clinical history?
Signalment, presenting complaint and duration, relevant bloodwork, treatments already given, and the specific question you want answered. History is the single biggest determinant of how useful a report is.
How do we handle our first urgent case?
Choose STAT at submission. STAT x-ray and fluoroscopy studies are returned in 1 hour, and STAT CT, MR and Ultrasound studies within 4 hours. If you need answers while the owner waits, choose Wet Read instead and send your targeted questions with the case.
How do reports reach our records?
Reports inject into the matching radiology order in ezyVet and Instinct, and the list of supported PIMS systems is constantly growing.
Next: the image quality guide covers what makes a study readable, and the modality pages cover what each study type can resolve.