Radiology Access in Rural Germany: A Nationwide Survey on Outpatient Imaging and Teleradiology
<b>Background/Objectives:</b> This study examines the role of teleradiology and outpatient imaging in addressing gaps in rural radiology, analyzing the perspectives of referring physicians and radiologists. <b>Methods</b>: An online survey was conducted with a primary focus o...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Diagnostics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/8/962 |
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| author | Philipp Reschke Leon D. Gruenewald Vitali Koch Jennifer Gotta Christian Booz Scherwin Mahmoudi Simon Bernatz Aynur Gökduman Elena Höhne Katrin Eichler Jörg Schlüchtermann Thomas J. Vogl Ibrahim Yel |
| author_facet | Philipp Reschke Leon D. Gruenewald Vitali Koch Jennifer Gotta Christian Booz Scherwin Mahmoudi Simon Bernatz Aynur Gökduman Elena Höhne Katrin Eichler Jörg Schlüchtermann Thomas J. Vogl Ibrahim Yel |
| author_sort | Philipp Reschke |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background/Objectives:</b> This study examines the role of teleradiology and outpatient imaging in addressing gaps in rural radiology, analyzing the perspectives of referring physicians and radiologists. <b>Methods</b>: An online survey was conducted with a primary focus on evaluating the perspectives of referring physicians, including practicing surgeons, internists, and general practitioners. Their responses were then compared with those of radiologists. The survey consisted of multiple sections covering demographics, attitudes toward teleradiology, and outpatient imaging. It employed Likert scales, semantic differential scales, multiple-choice questions, and weighted ranking systems. <b>Results:</b> A total of 171 participants were included in the survey, consisting of 50 internists, 40 surgeons, 48 general practitioners, and 33 radiologists. A total of 79.2% of referring physicians rated teleradiology positively (at least 4 out of 5 stars), although its adoption in Germany remains limited, with 80.4% of referring physicians and 55.6% of radiologists reporting minimal to no use in their regions. Key concerns among referring physicians included the “lack of communication of teleradiologists with requesting physicians” (50%) and “lack of diagnostic consultations of radiologists with patients” (26.7%). In contrast, radiologists expressed significantly greater concern about technical failures (28.6% vs. 3.3%, <i>p</i> < 0.05). Additionally, 59.5% of referring physicians identified teleradiology as a crucial factor for improving access to radiology in rural areas. With regard to outpatient imaging, referring physicians valued continuity of care most highly, while radiologists prioritized minimizing wait times. <b>Conclusions</b>: Referring physicians view teleradiology and outpatient imaging as promising solutions for bridging the gap in radiology access between urban and rural areas. Addressing concerns like communication barriers and ensuring technical reliability are critical to its broader adoption and implementation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9bc42d384f524d7398c4e909396b24c8 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2075-4418 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Diagnostics |
| spelling | doaj-art-9bc42d384f524d7398c4e909396b24c82025-08-20T03:13:30ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182025-04-0115896210.3390/diagnostics15080962Radiology Access in Rural Germany: A Nationwide Survey on Outpatient Imaging and TeleradiologyPhilipp Reschke0Leon D. Gruenewald1Vitali Koch2Jennifer Gotta3Christian Booz4Scherwin Mahmoudi5Simon Bernatz6Aynur Gökduman7Elena Höhne8Katrin Eichler9Jörg Schlüchtermann10Thomas J. Vogl11Ibrahim Yel12Goethe University Hospital Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyGoethe University Hospital Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyGoethe University Hospital Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyGoethe University Hospital Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyGoethe University Hospital Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyGoethe University Hospital Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyGoethe University Hospital Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyGoethe University Hospital Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyGoethe University Hospital Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyGoethe University Hospital Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyFaculty of Law, Business and Economics, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, GermanyGoethe University Hospital Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyGoethe University Hospital Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany<b>Background/Objectives:</b> This study examines the role of teleradiology and outpatient imaging in addressing gaps in rural radiology, analyzing the perspectives of referring physicians and radiologists. <b>Methods</b>: An online survey was conducted with a primary focus on evaluating the perspectives of referring physicians, including practicing surgeons, internists, and general practitioners. Their responses were then compared with those of radiologists. The survey consisted of multiple sections covering demographics, attitudes toward teleradiology, and outpatient imaging. It employed Likert scales, semantic differential scales, multiple-choice questions, and weighted ranking systems. <b>Results:</b> A total of 171 participants were included in the survey, consisting of 50 internists, 40 surgeons, 48 general practitioners, and 33 radiologists. A total of 79.2% of referring physicians rated teleradiology positively (at least 4 out of 5 stars), although its adoption in Germany remains limited, with 80.4% of referring physicians and 55.6% of radiologists reporting minimal to no use in their regions. Key concerns among referring physicians included the “lack of communication of teleradiologists with requesting physicians” (50%) and “lack of diagnostic consultations of radiologists with patients” (26.7%). In contrast, radiologists expressed significantly greater concern about technical failures (28.6% vs. 3.3%, <i>p</i> < 0.05). Additionally, 59.5% of referring physicians identified teleradiology as a crucial factor for improving access to radiology in rural areas. With regard to outpatient imaging, referring physicians valued continuity of care most highly, while radiologists prioritized minimizing wait times. <b>Conclusions</b>: Referring physicians view teleradiology and outpatient imaging as promising solutions for bridging the gap in radiology access between urban and rural areas. Addressing concerns like communication barriers and ensuring technical reliability are critical to its broader adoption and implementation.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/8/962telemedicineteleradiologyrural healthoutpatient care |
| spellingShingle | Philipp Reschke Leon D. Gruenewald Vitali Koch Jennifer Gotta Christian Booz Scherwin Mahmoudi Simon Bernatz Aynur Gökduman Elena Höhne Katrin Eichler Jörg Schlüchtermann Thomas J. Vogl Ibrahim Yel Radiology Access in Rural Germany: A Nationwide Survey on Outpatient Imaging and Teleradiology Diagnostics telemedicine teleradiology rural health outpatient care |
| title | Radiology Access in Rural Germany: A Nationwide Survey on Outpatient Imaging and Teleradiology |
| title_full | Radiology Access in Rural Germany: A Nationwide Survey on Outpatient Imaging and Teleradiology |
| title_fullStr | Radiology Access in Rural Germany: A Nationwide Survey on Outpatient Imaging and Teleradiology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Radiology Access in Rural Germany: A Nationwide Survey on Outpatient Imaging and Teleradiology |
| title_short | Radiology Access in Rural Germany: A Nationwide Survey on Outpatient Imaging and Teleradiology |
| title_sort | radiology access in rural germany a nationwide survey on outpatient imaging and teleradiology |
| topic | telemedicine teleradiology rural health outpatient care |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/8/962 |
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