Reston, VA - The nature of radiology practice is changing, and it is up to radiologists to take the lead in assessing these challenges and effectively respond to them, according to discussions held at the 2008 ACR Forum in January, and summarized in an article appearing in the September issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Radiology Practice Models: The 2008 ACR Forum by Richard B. Gunderman, M.D., et al., outlines the ACR's annual planning activity that brings together leaders in the field to discuss topics of long-range importance to radiology. The 2008 topic of radiology practice models was particularly timely, as radiologists have seen dynamic changes in the past year due to legislative, financial and technological actions in the field. Size, geographic location, degree of specialization and ownership issues were topics of interest in relation to the current state of radiology practices. According to the discussion, the future of radiology will be enhanced by the increase of teamwork, as opposed to individual achievement; more specifically, radiology practices will need to extend their attention to three central areas - the socioeconomic model, the model of radiologists, and the effects of changing practice models.

Taking Your Radiology Practice to the Next Level, by Lawrence R. Muroff, M.D., highlights the importance of appropriate structure and planning in current radiology practices. Many of the tactics discussed - 12 in total, including member involvement, interpersonal relations, and decision making - can be applied to any business model. However, in radiology, identifying each practice's unique set of differentiators is important in determining challenges and future goals. According to Muroff, with effective governance, a proactive approach to challenges, and a clear sense of direction, a practice will have the tools necessary to set themselves apart from the majority of radiology practices.
The 2007 Survey of Radiologists: Practice Characteristics, Ownership, and Affiliation With Imaging Centers, by James W. Moser, Ph.D., yields important information on topics gathered from the responses of a recent ACR survey. The 2007 survey was completed by 601 currently practicing radiologists. The most frequently reported subspecialties were interventional radiology at nearly 20 percent, and neuroradiology at approximately 16 percent. Mean practice size was reported at 20 full-time radiologists with radiologists performing 14,000 imaging studies annually. In regards to affiliation with imaging centers, nearly half of the respondents indicated they had equity interest in the centers. The most common modalities owned by radiologists were magnetic resonance and computed tomography scanners - this may be because these tend to be among the most frequently used modalities in the non-hospital setting. Furthermore, equipment ownership rates in non-metropolitan and rural areas were much higher than in urban locations. This first of two JACR articles highlights important trends in radiology and how they compare to a similar survey conducted by the ACR in 2003.

The September issue of the JACR is an important resource for radiology and nuclear medicine professionals as well as students seeking clinical and educational improvement.

For more information about the JACR, please visit www.jacr.org.

About the American College of Radiology

The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 32,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, interventional radiologists, nuclear medicine physicians and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of radiology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.

More Industry Headlines