Factors Causing Radiologist Shortages

 

A radiologist shortage is facing the global market due to factors such as increasing demand for imaging studies as well as Covid-19-related reasons. Additionally, an aging population, higher Medicare enrollment, and fewer radiology trainees make the situation even more dire. 

Harprit S. Bedi, MD, vice chairman of radiology education at Boston University School of Medicine, said, “The older population requires more imaging.” 

The World Health Organization predicts that the percentage of the world’s population over 60 years old will increase to 22 percent by 2050, almost double what it was in 2015. The United States Medicare population has greatly overshadowed the number of radiologists entering the field in recent years. 

Aditya Khurana, MD, an incoming radiology resident at the Mayo Clinic, said, “The significant increase in Medicare beneficiaries and relative stagnation in DR providers serving the Medicare population could strain the supply and demand balance in the delivery of imaging services.” 

The global Covid-19 pandemic has hugely impacted both trainees and long-serving radiologists, forcing some into early retirement. Around two out of every five physicians are expected to reach retirement age in the next decade, which will worsen the situation even more. 

The United States House of Representatives introduced the Resident Physician Shortage Act of 2021 to address physician shortfalls and fortify the number of Medicare-supported residency positions available. The bill could add more than 2,000 positions yearly between 2023 and 2029, totaling 14,000 new jobs.

Anna Rozenshtein, MD, president of the Association of the Program Directors in Radiology, said, “From a training perspective, the way to address a shortage of radiologists would be to increase the number of radiology resident positions. We must fight to expand the pipeline. This legislation, if enacted, would be a big step forward, with a couple of caveats: radiology residencies would need to be prioritized, particularly in the areas of the country experiencing the greatest shortage of radiologists.”

Maria Helena S. Mendonça, MD, assistant professor at Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Sāo Paulo in Brazil, said, “Before 2020, we didn’t know if clinicians would be open to remote work or if radiologists would be as productive from home. But Covid-19 exposed what was possible. I believe more trainees will be interested in the wonderful career that is radiology if we demonstrate how rewarding the specialty is. We can motivate ourselves to teach radiology residents and set an example of leadership while continuing to learn from our colleagues, enjoy a life dedicated to study and science, and show compassion and outstanding care to our patients.” 

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RadParts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerator and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost parts and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at 877-704-3838 to learn more.

 

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/

 

Video Radiology Helps Patients Better Understand Test Results

 

Video radiology reports are made for specific patients using simplified language and clearly annotated images to help them better understand test results, according to a novel study published by the American Journal of Roentgenology. 

Radiologists at NYU Grossman School of Medicine lead the study in collaboration with Visage Imaging GmbH and Siemens Healthineers. The study outlines how radiologists can create these patient-focused videos in under four minutes, delivering the results directly to patients and referring partners through an integrated patient portal. 

Lead author of the study, Michael P. Recht, MD, the Louis Marx Professor of Radiology and chair of the Department of Radiology at NYU Langone Health, said, “For decades radiologists have provided traditional radiology reports that are full of medical jargon and extremely difficult for patients to understand and decipher. Our findings demonstrate that when radiologists take a more active role in patient-centered care and provide helpful information about a particular diagnosis in an easy-to-comprehend manner, both the patient and clinician benefit.”

More than 100 radiologists at NYU Langone Health generated more than 3,500 video radiology reports during a four-month span between September 2021 and January 2022. All imaging modalities were used in the reports, such as MRIs, mammograms, X-rays, CT scans, ultrasounds, etc. 

The average length of each video report was 55 seconds. In a survey, 91 percent of patients reported they preferred both a written and video radiology report, suggesting it was helpful at showcasing the most imperative aspects of the overall report.

Researchers created the video radiology reports with Visage Imaging GmbH to integrate and build a tool inside the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), which is used by radiologists to read imaging studies. 

After a series of images were identified, they were brought into the diagnostic viewer screen and recorded with audio while a mouse was used to identify notable anatomical anomalies. 

The NYU Langone Health MyChart housed the video radiology reports on the patient portal, with personalized clinical notes and a complete written report. 

Dr. Recht said, “Our study disrupts the old adage that radiologists ‘sit in a dark reading room all day’ and are invisible to patients. Through projects and research like this, our radiologists take a more active approach to patient-centered care that allows our department to provide exceptional, world-class care.”

 

RadParts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerator and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost parts and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at 877-704-3838 or visit us on the web: https://www.radparts.com. 

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

Viable Alternative for Diagnosing Coronary Artery Disease on the Horizon

 

According to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Cardiac Computed Tomography (CT) can potentially provide a safer alternative to coronary angiography for assessing patients who suffer from stable chest pain or have undiagnosed Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).

Researchers used a randomized trial to conclude that more than 3,500 patients with stable chest pain in a randomized trial had a lower risk of major procedure-related complications with the use of CT. In contrast, initial cardiac CT and coronary angiography had similar cardiovascular risks.

Marc Dewey, MD, head of the Department of Radiology on Campus Charite Mitte, said, “The trial confirmed that the CT-based examination is safe in patients with stable chest pain and suspected coronary artery disease. Among the patients referred for cardiac catheterization and included in this trial, the risk of major cardiovascular events was found to be similar in both the CT and catheterization groups, occurring in 2.1% and 3.0% of patients, respectively. The incidence of major, procedure-related complications was found to be lower in patients managed with an initial CT strategy.”

The study was conducted between October 3, 2015, to April 12, 2019, by 26 European medical centers and involved 3,667 patients who were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to undergo CT or invasive coronary angiography.

Patients eligible for the study were required to be over 30 years old and referred due to stable chest pain with a high probability of obstructive CAD.

The study’s primary outcome focus was on major adverse cardiovascular events, some of which include cardiovascular death, nonfatal MI, or nonfatal stroke. Secondary procedure-related complications that took place either during or within the first 48 hours after CT invasive coronary angiography were also of interest.

A total of 90 major adverse cardiovascular events occurred among the study participants during the follow-up period.

Henryk Dreger, Deputy Head of Charite’s Department of Cardiology and Angiology said, “Now that it has been standardized and quality tested as part of the trial, this method could be made more widely available as part of the routine clinical care of people with intermediate CAD risk.”

RadParts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerator and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost parts and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at 877-704-3838 or visit us on the web: https://www.radparts.com.

 

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.