Status of admitting privileges for university-affiliated diagnostic radiology departments

Members of the Society of Chairmen of Academic Radiology Departments (SCARD) from 135 university hospitals in Canada and the United States were surveyed regarding their experience in admitting patients to diagnostic radiology departments between 1986 and 1989. One hundred departments (74%) replied; of these, 33 departments (33%) admitted patients during 1989. From 1986 to 1989 the percentage of diagnostic radiology departments admitting patients rose from 20% to 33%. Forty-one departments had admitting privileges, and nine departments had applied for admitting privileges. The remaining 50 departments were content to admit patients to medical and/or surgical services or had no interest in obtaining admitting privileges. The rapid growth of noncardiac interventional procedures, the obvious benefit to patients whose disease is manageable with imaging-guided therapy, the increasing interest of nonradiologists in performing interventional radiologic procedures, and the potential financial benefits to the hospital that are associated with short patient stays provide incentive for diagnostic radiologists to admit patients for cardiovascular and interventional procedures.