User:Bctwriter/subspecialty radiology

''' Subspecialty Radiology

Subspecialty Radiology
Medical imaging or radiology services are an essential component for physicians, in particular specialists such as orthopedists, neurological and spine surgeons, neurologists, internists, rheumatologists, and other subspecialty physicians.

Radiologists read the images and provide detailed clinical reports for the attending physicians. The prevalence of sophisticated specialization has increased the demands on radiologists who provide these reports.

To provide these reports pertaining to advanced modalities requires radiologists to have access to a specialized knowledge base. As radiologists develop these specializations they become subspecialty radiologists. (With sufficient specialization the term “hyper-subspecialists” has begun to emerge, further reflecting the practice’s focus on interpreting high volumes of very specific cases.)

Teleradiology
The challenge is that hospitals meeting the needs of smaller communities may not have the resources to sustain a staff of subspecialty radiologists. Furthermore, even if they could sustain the investment associated with staffing, there is an increasing shortage of subspecialty radiologists; the talent may not be available. One commonly used alternative is teleradiology in which radiological images are transmitted from one location to another for interpretation and consultation.

Medicine Specialization
Specialty physicians require radiologists interpreting patient’s images to be fluent in the terms specific to their specialty. This is necessary to ensure the quality of care and ensure desired outcomes. Detailed clinical pathology is more and more a component in these advanced applications and the resulting reports and attending radiologists have to be capable of providing this information.

Trends in Subspecialty Radiology
Advances in radiology have significantly increased the investment required to qualify as a subspecialty radiologist. This has resulted in an increasing shortage of radiologists, which is increasingly becoming more acute as specialization increases. With the advances in medical technology it has become increasingly difficult for one radiologist to be capable of fully interpreting results from all subspecialty-referring physicians.

As of 2008, only 25 percent of practicing radiologists are qualified a subspecialty radiologists. This is less than in 1994 when 28 percent were qualified and this trend is expected to continue, in large part because of the investment in time (12-13 years) required to become a subspecialty radiologist.

Increases in Subspecialty Teleradiology
Subspecialty Radiologists who focus on a specific emphasis, especially if that emphasis is esoteric need to practice in a facility that generates enough volume to build expertise. Many hospitals do not generate this volume. This has resulted in subspecialty radiology moving toward teleradiology, which makes subspecialists readily available to an array of imaging facilities and specialized physicians.

“Small groups cannot provide subspecialty expertise—it makes no economic sense for them to attempt it—and yet, subspecialty expertise is what the market wants. A group of five would simply have no viability if it consisted of a nuclear medicine specialist, a body imager, an interventionalist, a mammographer, and a neuroradiologist, for instance. But each of those subspecialists could be very viable in a group with 20 or more generalists.”

Lawrence R. Muroff, MD President and CEO, Imaging Consultants Inc., Tampa, Fla. Clinical Professor of Radiology, University of Florida and University of South Florida

History
1960s	General Radiologist (diagnostic and radiation therapy are the same) 1970s  	General Diagnostic Radiologist Radiation Therapist (Radiation Oncologist) 1980s  	Advent of CT and MRI 1990s  	Subspecialists (ACR CAQs)- Neuroradiology (Pediatric, Interventional, Nuclear) Early 2000s	Modality Experts” (MRI, MDCT, PET) Today	“Subspecialty Experts” Future	“Hyper-Subspecialists”

Providers
[Franklin & Seidelman]: A leading national full-service teleradiology provider offering final, preliminary and subspecialty reports -- day or night. With 100+ radiologists, F&S offers the largest subspecialty teleradiology network and is the largest teleradiology provider of final reports.