Three ways technology could help transform the role of radiologists in hospitals

I've been on the road (and in the air) lately visiting clients and our teams. Just last week, I was in several different cities and locations. Most of the hospital and health system leaders I meet with, however, work within the traditional four walls of the organization. Most of their employees do, too.

Historically, this model has made perfect sense—doctors, nurses, and other hospital employees need to be in the same location as their patients. Technology is beginning to change that… and likely for the better. Not only can it reduce tedious and administrative tasks of employees, but it can provide virtual options to change the location of work, and potentially provide better patient care.

The augmented workforce of the future can combine people and technology in a way that improves overall productivity, according to a new paper from Deloitte on the future of work in health care. Perhaps more importantly, technology could help to make many jobs more fulfilling. Is keeping employees happy important to hospital administrators? Absolutely!

Technology could help radiologists improve their 'image'

Turnover among burned-out hospital-employed physicians might cost US hospitals as much as $1.7 billion a year, according to a report released last month by the National Taskforce for Humanity in Healthcare, a recently formed organization of medical professionals who are examining clinician burnout.¹

Diagnostic radiology, for example, is a profession often plagued by burnout and turnover. Nearly half of surveyed radiologists report feeling burned out, according to a 2017 report from Medscape, a news service owned by WebMD. Along with a high volume of repetitive activities, some radiologists are getting paid less for their services. This can push them to work longer hours. And like other medical specialties, radiology is consolidating, which could lead to larger radiology groups that cover bigger geographic areas. As a result, radiologists could lose autonomy and see an uneven distribution of work.

How can technology help? Radiology is technological at its foundation, and it involves a high volume of repetitive activities. Faster computers, combined with software that can read medical images, could help radiologists scan more images while also boosting their accuracy and efficiency. Here are three ways technology could enhance radiology:

1. Computer-aided detection: This technology can help radiologists quickly sift through volumes of images. CAD learns from the images it sees, giving it the ability to identify relevant imaging abnormalities. As a result, a radiologist can review images at a more efficient pace and spend less time in a darkened room, looking at glowing images. A technology-augmented radiologist might then have more time to perform complex in-house procedures such as interventional radiology.
2. Tele-radiology: The ability to scan images remotely can help distribute interpretation work more evenly across sites and organizations with varying volume. This can lead to alternative work arrangements that suit individual radiologists.
3. Crowdsourcing: Radiologists could provide crowdsourced interpretations of images to patients via online platforms. This new care model could provide radiologists with greater flexibility, which might help ease burnout. With new technologies and diagnostic capabilities, radiologists will likely need to learn new skills and capabilities to keep up.

While technology is likely never going to replace radiologists in hospitals, it could take over some of the repetitive, rule-based tasks that they now perform. Even in my position, technology enables me to stay in constant contact with my clients, my colleagues, and my family when I'm on the road. I'm certain technology will continue to change the way we all work, although I think a robot would have a tough time keeping up with my travel schedule.

Footnotes

1. National Taskforce for Humanity in Healthcare, April 2018 (https://www.vocera.com/public/pdf/NTHBusinessCase_final003.pdf)

Steve Burrill, a partner with Deloitte LLP, is the vice chairman and national sector leader for Deloitte's Health Care Providers practice. He leads a multi-disciplinary team who serves clients through consulting, advisory, audit, and tax services. Steve also leads the overall strategic direction and market eminence of the health care providers sector, including client-facing leaders' development and succession, business development efforts, and cross-functional go-to-market strategies. With more than 33 years of experience, Steve has served clients across the health care spectrum–complex large systems, academic medical centers, children's hospitals, and single location entities–and has led large transformational projects involving acute care hospitals, ambulatory operations, clinics, and physician practices.

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