With the New Year upon us, many predict exciting advances for medical imaging. From improved and efficient health systems to advancing patient interest, 2015 may shape up to be our best year yet!

MRI-3T

Below, you can find a summary of what Diagnostic Imaging and Medical Imaging Talk predict for Radiology in 2015:

Lung Cancer Low Dose CT

ACR plans on ensuring implementation of a high quality low-dose CT program, reimbursed at a level that will optimize access for patients.

Imaging 3.0

Though cutting costs is always vital, healthcare organizations will focus first on improving efficiency. This includes seeking tools that will help facilitate communication and making images viewable remotely.

Decision Support and Data Analytics

Software, not hardware will play a large role in radiology’s future. Business analytics, visualization, reporting, decision support, imaging sharing informatics are the key to achieving value, improving quality and advancing patients’ interests. In addition, mining useful data has becoming increasingly valuable to healthcare organizations. Healthcare organizations will use this solid data to make more informed decisions.

Reimbursement

Cuts will continue in radiology reimbursement, but the rate of change will slow. Radiology advocacy will play a large role in combatting these cuts.

Dose

There will be a decreased interest in dose reduction in favor of diagnostic quality. Radiologists will continue to push 3D mammography and dual energy CT techniques in this fashion.

Training and Jobs

The first board-eligible radiology fellows will venture into the professional realm. As the job market picks up, more opportunities will be available to them. However, applicants for radiology residency have decreased, thus affecting the class sizes.

Patient Engagement

Radiologists may seek to provide more non-interpretative services in order to adapt to a time where informing patients of their value and health care services is transitioning. There is a continued push for patient engagement, especially in a specialty where this is not normal protocol. Medical imaging is extremely valuable and can support patients’ visual understanding of their conditions. It is important that radiologists continue to uphold their value.

 

Sources

Diagnostic Imaging

Medical Imaging Talk