Do radiologists control imaging studies? Survey results from 198 academic institutions

Survey data were collected in 1987 from 198 academic radiology departments in North America to determine the degree to which radiologists are responsible for 32 imaging or imaging-related interventional procedures. The 32 were chosen because they were thought to be potential sources of conflict with nonradiology clinicians. The data reveal that academic radiologists either totally control or strongly dominate bone and breast radiography, percutaneous lung biopsy, percutaneous genitourinary and biliary tract interventional procedures, abscess drainages guided with computed tomography (CT) or ultrasound (US), both peripheral and renal angioplasty, pulmonary angiography, all of neuroradiology, all of CT, and all of magnetic resonance imaging. Radiologists have a dominant role in obstetric US, percutaneous inferior vena cava filter placement, and urethrography, although there is significant participation by nonradiologists in these studies. Radiologists and nonradiologists have roughly equivalent roles in vascular US and hysterosalpingography. Nonradiologists have the dominant roles in percutaneous gastrostomy, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, kidney stone lithotripsy, coronary angiography and angioplasty, pediatric angiocardiography, and echocardiography.