[Legal conditions for telemedicine in Germany]

Obstacles and Solutions Driving the Development of a National Teleradiology Network

Background: Teleradiology has the potential to link medical experts and specialties despite geographical separation. In a project report about hospital-based teleradiology, the significance of technical and human factors during the implementation and growth of a teleradiology network are explored. Evaluation: The article identifies major obstacles during the implementation and growth of the teleradiology network of the Berlin Trauma Hospital (BG Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin) between 2004 and 2020 in semi-structured interviews with senior staff members. Quantitative analysis of examination numbers, patient numbers, and profits relates the efforts of the staff members to the monetary benefits and success of the network. Identification of qualitative and quantitative factors for success: Soft and hard facilitators and solutions driving the development of the national teleradiology network are identified. Obstacles were often solved by technical innovations, but the time span between required personal efforts, endurance, and flexibility of local and external team members. The article describes innovations driven by teleradiology and hints at the impact of teleradiology on modern medical care by relating the expansion of the teleradiology network to patient transfers and profits. Conclusion: In addition to technical improvements, interpersonal collaborations were key to the success of the teleradiology network of the Berlin Trauma Hospital and remained a unique feature and selling point of this teleradiology network.

Rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen der Teleradiologie

The following article describes the legal aspects of teleradiology in Germany. At first we analyze the general significance of teleradiology in the sense of"achieving medical service over spatial distances". Next we take a closer look at teleradiology according to the German Radiation Control Law ("Deutsche Röntgenverordnung") in the sense of primary diagnostic findings. It is obvious that, apart from the Radiation Control Law, several other laws have to be obeyed when using teleradiology. Currently all of these legal requirements concerning teleradiological service can be fulfilled by applying modern IT.