Stephen R. Baker, MD

A truism about any rapidly adopted technology, no matter what its specifics, is that the benefits are readily apparent soon after its introduction, and the untoward effects are inevitable but delayed. The initial wave of enthusiasm about a new test or a new technique's virtues drowns out, at least for a while, any discussion about its putative ill effects. This truism is especially apparent when the innovation inspires a metamorphosis in practice and perception that alters the allocation of resources, the focus of training, and the nature of work.

Technological developments have so expanded the scope of imaging that many traditional components of diagnosis-history, physical exam, old records, even laboratory data-have been deemphasized, neglected, or bypassed. The ascendancy of imaging has correspondingly increased the scope, prestige, and income of radiologists, who are generally regarded as the proprietors of new, advanced techniques and recognized as interpreters of the information they provide.