By Dave Yeager
Radiology Today
Vol. 18 No. 1 P. 4
A lot has happened since the last time we spun around the sun, not all of it good, but the new year brings new hope for better days ahead. It seems like the pace of change is picking up in health care, which means that new opportunities await. One development I’ll be closely following this year, as I’m sure many of you will, is how and where artificial intelligence works its way into radiology. And it seems like a safe bet that everyone is wondering how MACRA will shake out. Whether we continue down the volume-to-value path remains to be seen, but MACRA figures to be in place for at least the next few years, so radiology will need to continue carving out a role in a value-driven environment.
In this issue, we’re taking a look at some topics that may bring lasting changes to the way that radiology is practiced, starting with Kathy Hardy’s cover story on contrast-enhanced ultrasound for liver indications. Already used for cardiac imaging, CEUS is poised to improve the quality of liver imaging in the United States. Results from other countries where CEUS is approved for liver use have been promising.
Another enhancement with the potential to improve patient care is the addition of real-time MRI to radiation therapy. Beth W. Orenstein reports on the advantages of real-time MRI and how it may be a step toward personalized therapy.
Speaking of patient care, the movement to involve radiologists more directly in patient care is slowly gaining steam. With patients coming to expect access to all of their medical records, including images and radiology reports, radiologists will need to start keeping two audiences in mind: patients as well as referring physicians. Jeannette Sabatini’s article on patient portals highlights how radiologists can demonstrate value in an increasingly competitive medical marketplace by broadening their audience.
Finally, we have our list of five things to watch in 2017. Truthfully, it seems like there are a lot more than five trends to keep track of this year, but we’re highlighting the ones that particularly stood out to us at RSNA 2016.
Enjoy the issue, and Happy New Year!