New realities shape future radiology delivery models

Unlike many changes taking place in diagnostic imaging, the movement to find alternative reading sites is not primarily technology driven. The technology necessary to accomplish remote reading has been available for more than 20 years. The relatively recent enhancement of such technology has made remote reading much more practical and more clinically reliable than in the past. Indeed, without these upgrades, remote reading would be impossible. However, the real impetus for its use comes from the unprecedented staffing shortages taking place in radiology today. How bad is the shortage? Projections by U.S. Radiology Partners (USRP) show that even if radiologists practiced until they were 70 years old, and volumes remained at current levels, it would still take five years for supply to come into line with demand. Given current trends, the shortage can be expected to continue for another eight to 10 years at a minimum. Necessity therefore obliges hospitals to rethink old assumptions. One of these assumptions concerns remote reading. This alternative has been available for at least 10 years, but rarely has been embraced by hospitals. The key to successful radiology management and delivery today is to link staff with technology strategically. There are several steps necessary to creating a proactive staffing and reading system in tune with today's market. These include: establish a professional network, assess your technology needs, assess your clinical needs, include referral staff in the process, establish clear standards, encourage interaction with remote physicians, communicate with patients and involve technologists.