2: The role of patients as consumers Patients worldwide place sacred trust in radiologists. This is true whether they live in Cameroon, the Philippines, or Haiti — where Borgstede has volunteered — or in Colorado, where he practices. Patients, he said, “must see more of us.”

3: The most effective technology Imaging is used at some point in every patient's care. Teleradiology, for example, allows worldwide interconnectivity. It also permits secure distribution and transfer for data sharing and clinical interpretations. AI can also be used to guide and prioritize, to flatten the world of interpretive skills. Borgstede stressed that AI will always remain a tool directed by radiologists, not as a replacement for radiologists. Radiologists, he reminded, solve clinical problems by integrating knowledge with precision medicine to care for patients.


4: The power of RSNA Another type of connectivity between radiologists worldwide is through professional organizations, including RSNA. Borgstede also mentioned the European Society of Radiology, the International Society of Radiology, the Asian Oceanian Society of Radiology, and others. Through such meetings, research, publications, and education interconnect medical imaging with common standards, such as the Diacom model, to make all brands interconnected. He noted that RSNA worked with these groups to develop a worldwide, consistent thoracic imaging standard to diagnose COVID-19.

"There is no substitute for human-to-human interaction in radiology, "said Borgstede. “There is a deep chasm between two different worlds of healthcare. We must make a conscious choice to collaborate worldwide … to learn from each other.”

The opening session was the first to be held in a virtual setting due to the pandemic, but there was intimate opportunity for radiologists to connect with colleagues. Hundreds of worldwide RSNA attendees greeted each other in the comments section during the presentation in real time, worldwide, ranging from Russia to Greece and from India to Vermont.

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