The concept that radiologists provide "reads," as opposed to professional interpretation services, is degrading to the profession and misleading to those outside of our profession. It plays into the hands of all who seek to minimize and undervalue our work.
A comment regarding the editorial by John C. Hayes, "Radiology could face disruption under 'spot market' for image reads" (September, page 5).
The concept that radiologists provide "reads," as opposed to professional interpretation services, is degrading to the profession and misleading to those outside of our profession. It plays into the hands of all who seek to minimize and undervalue our work. If we as radiologists accept this "reads" label, then we will get what we deserve-relegation to commodity status with our work farmed out to the lowest bidder.
It is contradictory to insist that we are physicians concerned with the well-being and medical care of our patients and then allow our services to be treated as an auto manufacturer (payer) might treat a car part (read) placed on a vehicle (examination) by a worker (radiologist) as it traverses an assembly line (imaging service encounter).
James B. Ball Jr., M.D.
Longwood, FL
The Reading Room Podcast: Current Perspectives on the Updated Appropriate Use Criteria for Brain PET
March 18th 2025In a new podcast, Satoshi Minoshima, M.D., Ph.D., and James Williams, Ph.D., share their insights on the recently updated appropriate use criteria for amyloid PET and tau PET in patients with mild cognitive impairment.
Study with CT Data Suggests Women with PE Have More Than Triple the One-Year Mortality Rate than Men
April 3rd 2025After a multivariable assessment including age and comorbidities, women with pulmonary embolism (PE) had a 48 percent higher risk of one-year mortality than men with PE, according to a new study involving over 33,000 patients.