Can teleradiology help reduce burnout? Perhaps, according to two winners of the 2024 Hexarad scholarship, an award supported by the U.K. Royal College of Radiologists (RCR).
The awardees are Dr. Tatyana Sarnecki of Barts Health NHS Trust and Dr. Dylan Mankoo, of Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Each wrote an essay called "Teleradiology: A Remedy for Physician Burnout? Exploring the Link Between Work Life Balance, Doctor Wellbeing, and Patient Care."
The authors define burnout and address questions such as how the condition affects radiologists and their patients and how teleradiology could mitigate it. They also note that burnout lowers productivity and increases turnover in radiology practices.
Teleradiology can reduce burnout by allowing radiologists to plan their work schedules and make use of second opinions from peers, Sarnecki and Mankoo wrote. But it also has its downsides, including causing radiologists to feel more isolated from peers and patients and vulnerability to data breaches, they stated.
For further details, go to the RCR website.
