ECR 2023 is just around the corner and many are speculating on which novelties will be showcased this year. While the innovations presented are a few months ahead of the real world, the question most attendees are more likely to ask is “what should I be looking at to grow my business?”
The technical hurdles facing radiology today can be narrowed down to three areas: the shortage of radiologists and radiographers, the ever increasing number of exams due to demographic trends, and the continuous decrease in reimbursement. While staff shortages can only be addressed in the long term, the best way to tackle the issue for now is with technological solutions that automate workflows and increase efficiency. Examinations have to be carried out faster.
Boosting workflows
The buzzword that comes to mind when talking about increasing efficiency is artificial intelligence (AI). Sadly, everyone almost exclusively thinks of automated diagnostic support – pixel AI. The fact that AI can also accelerate administrative workflows is often ignored in the current discussion. Yet there are already systems that calculate the probability of no-shows based on the weather forecast. AI can also help with resource planning, patient scheduling and order entry.
Teleoperation
Another way to address staff shortage is to distribute images within clinical or practice networks to leverage resources from other locations. Something similar can be done to control modalities. For example, radiographers can already operate multiple imaging devices simultaneously from remote consoles. A radiographer is thus able to guide medical professionals to prepare the examinations and position the patient correctly, while setting the exam parameters at the remote MRI console and starting the exam.
Measurable effects in terms of increased efficiency can be achieved with just a few targeted measures. With daily wrap-ups, we – Mélisande Rouger, Alan Barclay and Guido Gebhardt – will keep you informed of what we see and hear inside the ACV. See you in Vienna!
