Productivity of radiologists in the United States by imaging technique: a 16-year analysis based upon relative value...

Professional Relative Value Units (RVUs) quantifying productivity of radiologists in the United States were used to study trends from 1973 to 1989 in the distribution of productivity among the various imaging techniques. Data from a 1989 survey were used to estimate the distribution of radiology examinations among techniques for 1989. A difficulty index (RVUs per examination) was calculated for each technique weighted by actual CPT-code occurrences reported in that survey. An RVU workload was estimated for each technique by multiplying the occurrences of the technique by its corresponding difficulty index. This analysis was applied first to the 1989 data, and second, retrospectively, to data from the literature that gave the distribution by technique of estimated national procedures for 1973 and 1980. The number of studies and RVUs in all techniques has increased from 1973 to 1989 with a relatively greater increase in the percentage of mammography and of sectional imaging examinations. Differences in difficulty index between the techniques leverage the changes in occurrence, causing a dramatic increase in the percentage of RVU workload represented by sectional imaging. The percentage of procedures and RVUs represented by vascular/interventional has remained relatively constant. The overall difficulty index has risen by 18% from 1973 to 1989. These trends should influence the allocation of space, equipment, and human resources in radiology department planning and management.