CT, MRI work outsourced to China (from Japan)

The Yomiuri Shimbun

With an increasing number of medical institutions commissioning analysis of patients' image data to outside entities via the Internet due to a shortage of doctors and other reasons, some companies have begun entrusting the work to doctors in China who offer low-priced services.

In response, organizations of Japanese doctors, such as the Japan Radiological Society, set up a guideline stipulating that only those with a Japanese doctor's license are entitled to make diagnoses based on such data.

The issue will likely be a hot topic at the society's meeting to be held in Yokohama from Thursday.

In what is known as remote data analysis, Japanese hospitals transmit graphic data of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) taken at hospitals to other facilities with radiologists, who examine the data and send reports back to their clients.

Nihon Dokuei Center, a company based in Osaka Prefecture, is a provider of the service that entrusts the work of data analysis to Chinese doctors.

The company, also which brokers the same service by Japanese doctors, began commissioning work to China in 2008.

While it costs about 3,000 yen per image to entrust analysis of CT and similar images to an outside entity, it costs only 700 yen to 900 yen per image if the work is done in China.

<SNIP>http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20100407TDY02T07.htm

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3000 yen = $32.13

My local MRI center outsources the readings to India.