Successfully solving workforce shortage in radiology

Radiologists around the world today are faced with an immense challenge: How to achieve and sustain operational excellence with fewer staff numbers and expertise in the face of rising demand?

Due to ageing populations and growing healthcare needs, imaging studies are predicted to grow by up to 5% every year in some regions[1]. According to the World Health Organization, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years of age will be 22% by 2050, nearly double that of 2015. The pressure to meet demand for additional scans and interpreting more data than ever before is having a detrimental impact on both the well-being of healthcare professionals and the overall experience of patients.

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the field of radiology is experiencing age-related and stress-related retirement from the profession. More than half of all active radiologists in the United States are aged 55 and over (more than 8 out of 10 are at least 45 years old already), for example. With workloads at an all-time high and workforce shortage prevalent in many healthcare organizations, burnout due to poor work-life balance poses a real challenge for today’s radiology departments. 49% of radiologists in the U.S. report symptoms of burnout, for instance[2].

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Understanding the vicious circle

This challenge is driven by a vicious circle of increasing workload, resulting in stress and a problem retaining staff, which further exacerbates the already existing staff shortage. This in turn puts more pressure on each professional’s workload, increasing stress and the shortage of qualified staff. This vicious circle perpetuates itself, leading to a decline in the well-being of healthcare professionals. Operating in such an environment makes it challenging to deliver high quality imaging to patients.

Finding a more sustainable way of working is clearly in everyone’s interest. This is why the medical technology industry is developing solutions to help foster a sustainable and resilient working environment. The aim is a holistic approach based on leading-edge digital and workforce solutions, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), to transform this seemingly endless spiral into a virtuous cycle that places the well-being of both healthcare professionals and patients at the heart of modern, fit-for-purpose diagnostic imaging.

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Transforming the vicious circle into a virtuous cycle

So how can we create a successful working environment fit for the future of radiology? Imagine your team working smarter to cut through workload bottlenecks; efficiently leveraging some of the most innovative digital and workforce solutions to optimize operational processes and workflows in the interests of both your team of professionals and their patients.

This digitally enhanced way of working supports you at every step along the imaging pathway. A suite of specialized technologies empowers you to streamline the process from acquisition through processing to reporting.

?This technological revolution empowers you and your team to drive the transformation from staff shortage to staff satisfaction in four key areas:

1. Maximize staff productivity by automating, digitalizing and simplifying time-consuming tasks with intelligent imaging, freeing up time for what matters most. Guided protocol selection and patient positioning for faster image acquisition as well as instantly accessible data insights and remote support help your team to leverage the full clinical capabilities of your equipment.
2. Boost clinical confidence with data-driven tools. These enable your team to confidently produce high-quality imaging and read and interpret cases with high clinical accuracy and sensitivity despite demanding workloads.
3. Deliver a more pleasant patient experience despite limited resources with patient-centered technologies that reduce exam times, radiation exposure and contrast media. By enabling more personal interaction with patients, these solutions can enhance your team’s sense of purpose, engagement, and job satisfaction.
4. Ease staffing challenges by embracing new working models that allow you to respond flexibly to fluctuating numbers and seasonal variations in workload. Technologies that guide users through even the most advanced examination procedures in combination with remote support by experts can foster a supportive working environment for your team.

Realizing a paradigm shift in imaging workflows

In short, the medical imaging industry is reimagining radiology with an AI-driven digital paradigm shift and some game-changing staffing solutions. It's all designed to help you meet your care delivery goals and move your team confidently into the future. A future shaped no longer by a vicious circle of staff shortage but instead a virtuous cycle:

Innovative digital and workforce solutions help to improve the quality of life of both healthcare professionals and patients thanks to a much smoother process along the entire imaging pathway. This in turn helps to boost staff well-being via smart support at each step to help you attract and retain talent.

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Harnessing smart digital and workforce solutions to support your workforce

The promise of AI-powered imaging and workforce services is to provide much needed support that can help make the healthcare skills crisis manageable. It presents an opportunity rather than posing any threat. AI is not poised to replace the radiologist. Instead, it is ready and able to support them and provide a second, safe pair of hands, for example by automating routine tasks. Digitalization, automation and support services can ensure that the stresses of daily workloads are mitigated for a greater sense of well-being and job motivation.

Look out for more in-depth articles in the coming weeks and months, exploring how a comprehensive approach to tackling the challenges posed by workforce shortage can address specific needs with innovative digital and workforce solutions.

[1] Smith-Bindman R, Kwan ML, Marlow EC, et al. Trends in use of medical imaging in US healthcare systems and in Ontario, Canada, 2000-2016.?JAMA.?2019;322(9):843-856. https://www.zdrav.by/pdf/1202.pdf

[2] Baggett SM, Martin KL. Medscape Radiologist Lifestyle, Happiness & Burnout Report 2022? https://viewpoints.reedsmith.com/post/102hjhu/radiologist-2022-lifestyle-and-burnout-report-released-by-medscape