How Technology can Help Ease Radiologist Workloads

The Looming Healthcare Crisis

The healthcare industry is facing a significant challenge: a growing shortage of physicians and, specifically for this blog, radiologists.  Although hard to pinpoint, there are several converging factors that have worsened this issue:

1. An aging population in need of medical care
2. Fewer people entering the field of radiology
3. Radiologists leaving the profession due to retirement or career changes
4. Continued reduction in insurance and Medicare reimbursements

Compounding this problem is a broader shortage of radiology staff.  With fewer programs offering radiologic technology degrees and professionals who left the workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, staffing continues to be a challenge for many organizations. 

According to the 2023 ASRT Staffing Survey, the average vacancy rates have increased from 6.2% in 2021 to 18.1% in 2023.    Furthermore, according to The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: Projections From 2019 to 2034, a report released by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), by 2034, we may see physician shortages significantly increase:

• Between 17,800 and 48,000 primary care physicians
• Between 21,000 and 77,100 non-primary care physicians

These shortages threaten patient care, particularly in rural and underserved areas. While there’s no single solution, we must explore various approaches to mitigate this crisis and maintain high-quality healthcare delivery. 

Economic Solutions to Address Staffing Shortages

Becoming a licenses physician is a lengthy and expensive process, often leaving new doctors with significant debt (often exceeding $250,000). 

Although the salaries are higher for sub-specialty careers, primary care physicians’ salaries are generally lower than their sub-specialty counterparts.  Regardless, Time Magazine mentioned a few economic suggestions that could be considered to better support young people to choose a medical career:

1. Develop increased funding to help offset the steep costs of attending medical school.  Funding can be at the federal level or even provided by various healthcare systems to lure new students into the profession.
2. Provide some form of debt relief to those who complete medical school.  Although some of these programs could be federal or state funded, hospitals providing debt relief in lieu of employment guarantees offer interesting alternatives.
3. Increase focus on multispecialty care groups.  Spreading care across experts in a care team could help improve patient outcomes faster while lowering healthcare costs.
4. Reduce the required paperwork burden.  Not only do physicians have to cope with busy patient schedules, but they must also contend with significant paperwork burdens. 

Additionally, the following suggestions are further areas of consideration for the short term:

1. Hiring part-time retired radiologists.
2. Consider adding a slight bit more time to part-time radiologists per month.
3. Provide reading room assistants to off-load other burdens from radiologists so they can focus on reading studies.
4. Provide more funding for radiology assistances to assist in reading studies and performing procedures traditionally performed by radiologists.

Although not an exhaustive list, the above options could appeal to students as they consider their career options, which over time could begin to lessen the burden of those already practicing in their respective fields today.

Technology Considerations to Improve Clinical Workflows

While technology can benefit various medical specialties, this blog will focus on how technology can reduce their workload burdens, while elevating care, as they relate to the field of radiology.

According to a recent article in Radiology Business, are technologies that could help address the radiologist shortage we’re experiencing today.

Teleradiology Solutions

Teleradiology solutions may be one of the biggest drivers to reduce workload burdens radiologists face today. 

• Studies can be matched to radiologist specialties and expertise, which can improve care quality and clinical outcomes.   
• 24×7 coverage – Teleradiology can provide around the clock coverage and continue care continuity.  Exams are performed and exported to radiologists working after hours to provide reports any time of day, reducing the time it takes for reports to be generated and providing after hours relief to staff radiologists.
• Support for rural hospitals: Rural hospitals struggle to attract and retain radiologists, where teleradiology can provide specialist expertise over a wider geographical area.  By serving small hospitals, teleradiologists can provide guidance, clinical consultations, and reading services to underserved facilities, providing patients with better care.
• Cost-effective care: Teleradiology can reduce the cost of care by providing off-site radiology reading services at a lower rate, all while maintaining a high level of patient care.

Artificial Intelligence Solutions (AI)

Contrary to earlier concerns, Artificial Intelligence (AI) have not replaced radiologists.  As Health Imaging reports, there are about 950 AI applications approved for clinical use, with 723 or 70%, specific for radiology.  AI solutions help augment the workload radiologists perform, improving productivity, reducing the cost of care, and providing improved work balance for busy radiologists.

While reimbursements for many AI algorithms remains to be a challenge, radiology professionals continue to be optimistic that as these tools continue to evolve and prove their benefits, reimbursements will follow. 

AI has the potential to improve screening study workloads, often the bulk of some providers’ workload.  With accuracy rates approaching experienced radiologists, AI can filter out routine studies and alert radiologists to exams that need immediate attention., significantly improving day-to-day workflow.

Finally, other useful operational applications for AI in radiology include scanning reports and alert providers that follow-up is necessary, while tracking those follow-ups which saves radiologists valuable time and ensures patient’s receive proper care.  Areas like study protocoling, automated workload balancing, patient schedule management, and reducing clinical errors during exam reporting, are other areas where AI promised to offer a big impact.

Image Sharing

Image sharing continues to be a challenge.  Repeating studies is an unnecessary cost that can be avoided if comparison studies are readily available.  Image sharing can help reduce repeated studies, which also reduces radiation exposure for the patient.  Image sharing technology can allow facilities or patients to provide their imaging exams at different facilities prior to their follow-up care.  Historical studies provide radiologists with more information about the patient, which can improve follow-up care, resulting in better patient outcomes.

Cloud Technology

An article in Radiology Business, suggests moving your imaging infrastructure to the cloud offers multifaceted advantages to on-premises configurations.  Freeing up physical space previously occupied by on-premises servers is one key advantage, as that space can be repurposed or other critical needs.  Additionally, air conditioning and electrical cost savings can help out, while redirecting IT staff to other strategic initiatives provides another key benefit.

As cybersecurity concerns grow, cloud solutions provide relief by offloading those responsibilities to their cloud/imaging IT vendor.  Since many organizations lack the expertise to maintain 24×7 cybersecurity measures, relying on your cloud provider to handle this protection is a nice advantage. 

If you’re not 100% ready to commit to full cloud operations, hybrid configurations provide the best of both worlds.  A small on-premises IT footprint allows organizations to take advantage of cloud technology while balancing the need of providing enhanced care continuity in case of internet outages or other disruptions. 

InsiteOne is Here to Help!

New technology is one short-term strategy to improve radiologist shortages.  Offering one of the original cloud-based image storage solution, InsiteOne provides the solutions discussed in this blog which can provide a bit impact on improving radiology workflows. 

InsiteOne’s innovative PACS/RIS solutions offer tools to improve radiologist and staff productivity.  Our advanced teleradiology solutions can help teleradiologists be more productive with a world-class digital cockpit.  By ensuring the right exam lands with the best matched radiologist, time and higher quality reads can be ensured, which improves patient outcomes.  With significant integration capabilities, plugging in clinical and operational AI tools provide your organization with an integration platform that grows and adapts based on your future needs.  Finally, we make it easy for patients and organizations to share studies, which can improve care and reduce repeating unnecessary exams. 

InsiteOne offers our solutions as cloud, hybrid, or on-premises configurations to suit your organization’s needs.  Our extensive expertise as a dedicated healthcare cloud provider, ensures we provide the highest level of customer satisfaction possible, while facilitating cross-team collaboration and easy access to patient studies from anywhere, at any time.

Next Steps

As staff shortages in healthcare continue to evolve, the role of technology will continue to make an impact on improving productivity while maintaining – and even improving – patient care.  By working with InsiteOne, your healthcare organization can feel confident your technology investment is future-proofed and emerging technologies can be easily integrated to accommodate new workflows.

Reach out to us at InsiteOne to begin your consultation with our team on ways you can use technology to reduce staff burdens and improve your operational workflows.