Our AI models are at work today prioritizing critical cases, improving reporting accuracy and assisting billing compliance. But we’re just getting started. AI will permeate the practice and business of medical imaging to empower radiologists, conquer mountains of administrative burden and strengthen health care delivery.

Early hype implied that artificial intelligence would replace radiologists. Turns out the opposite is closer to the truth. Without radiologists there is zero potential for the future of AI in diagnostic imaging. Radiologists are integral to model development, testing and validation.

While workflows change to balance growing demand for imaging studies with decreasing capacity, it is essential that patient care is not compromised. Radiology practices must be prepared to invest and adapt for the long term to ensure critical performance metrics remain solid in this volatile environment.

The demand for imaging studies is expected to continue to increase for the foreseeable future. However, the number of radiologists on hand to perform those studies will remain relatively flat, and potentially decline. This is creating a market-wide capacity imbalance that is straining performance across radiology.

For me, the collegiality of the practice of radiology is a highlight of my daily work. When I first considered leaving a traditional practice for teleradiology, I was worried that working remotely would leave me feeling disconnected. In actuality, I’ve never felt more engaged in a supportive and interdependent team committed to delivering quality patient care.

Moving past the initial media hype, practitioners are beginning to demonstrate how AI applications can enhance the ability of radiologists to support better patient outcomes.

A growing number of health organizations are making computed tomographic perfusion (CTP) a critical part of their stroke intervention protocols.

As the CIO of Radiology at MEDNAX and vRad, I cannot help but reflect on the history of imaging informatics – and look ahead to the future innovations that emerging technology will bring.

The DAWN Trials, among others, support positive results for stroke patients who first receive treatment up to 24 hours after symptom onset. Current guidelines that require treatment within 6 hours or less limit clinicians’ treatment options for stroke patients when initial signs may have gone unobserved, or when the patient may have been delayed in getting to the ER. Emerging guidelines are opening a much larger window of opportunity through which we can properly diagnose and treat stroke victims.