From the November 2021 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine

"Not only are those hired by an employer much more likely to classify a chest X-ray as negative for black lung disease, but it is also much more likely that an employer will have the resources to hire its own expert — at a much higher fee — in the first place,” said senior author Dr. Robert Cohen, clinical professor of environmental and occupational health sciences and director of the Mining Education and Resource Center at UIC.

Diagnoses were made by 264 physicians from 63,780 X-rays of coal miners who filed workers’ compensation claims of total disabling disease with the Federal Black Lung Program, reported the authors. B-readers — individuals certified to review radiographs for black lung disease — who were hired by a coal miner’s employer listed 84.8% of images as negative for black lung disease. Those hired by the USDOL marked 63.2% negative and those hired by a miner labeled 51.3% negative. Sixty-four listed black lung disease as absent in 95% of their classifications. Of these classifications, 93.3% were made by employer-hired B-readers. Fifty-one made negative diagnoses in more than 99% of their assessments.


Shortage of nearly 2,000 radiologists hinders care in UK
A 33% shortage of radiologists in the UK has left patients waiting in long lines to be scanned. And it’s only projected to get worse by 2025 with a 44% shortfall, according to a Royal College of Radiology census published in April, which estimates a need of nearly 2,000 more radiologists in the NHS.

“We cannot deliver adequate services for our patients,” cautioned hospital leaders who conducted the census. “We can no longer provide cancer and acute care safely.”

The NHS requires at least another 1,939 radiology consultants to meet staffing and pre-COVID-19 demands for scans. Exacerbating the shortage is the departure of doctors who stayed on at the height of the pandemic, with 58% of hospital leaders saying they lack enough diagnostic and interventional radiologists to keep patients safe. In addition, 47% of NHS trusts and health boards report not having the staff or transfer arrangements to run safe 24/7 interventional radiology services.

While consultant numbers are increasing, they are not doing so fast enough, with waiting lists at record highs and backlogs for exams such as MR and ultrasound, leaving thousands of patients waiting more than six weeks for a scan, according to the NHS. Stricter infection control and social distancing measures brought on by the pandemic have also made scanning slower.

November 2021 Magazine

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