Magazine

With few exceptions, the most attention-demanding discussions about how and when artificial intelligence will transform radiology have been led by—and largely held within—the academic sector. That’s not surprising, given that teaching radiologists are the ones doing the research, blazing the trails and comparing the notes.

When it comes to achieving price transparency for patients who are intent on minimizing out-of-pocket pain for medical services, radiology practices face a stark choice: Innovate or perish.

The Institute of Medicine’s 2015 report Improving Diagnosis in Health Care revealed the persistence of diagnostic errors in all settings of healthcare that continued to harm an unacceptable number of patients. Numerous factors contribute to hindering the diagnostic process, such as workflow limitations, poor implementation of technology, the medical liability system, current reimbursement models and organizational culture. Nonetheless, the authors conclude that improving the diagnostic process is “not only possible, but also represents a moral, professional and public health imperative.”

Since the introduction of the concept of an interventional radiology ambulatory surgery center (“irASC”) in 2016, there’s been an explosion in the number of billing codes that permit irASCs to collect for outpatient interventional procedures.