Radiology research activities down markedly during pandemic, RSNA COVID-19 task force says
Radiology research activities were down markedly during the early days of the pandemic, according to a new report released Thursday.
The RSNA COVID-19 Task Force interviewed nearly 50 vice chairs from academic radiology departments about how the crisis has impacted research. More than 95% of respondents said that during shutdown periods, their facilities operated at 50% capacity or less compared to pre-COVID levels.
However, research that can be conducted from home—such as computational analysis, grant writing and manuscript submission—stayed the same or climbed, offering clues for managing further slowdowns.
“Having knowledge of the types of activities particularly impacted by an event such as the COVID pandemic can help us prepare for future events should they occur, as well as help leaders such as vice chairs for research innovate around new ways to conduct research in the future,” Mahmud Mossa-Basha, MD, with the University of Washington in Seattle’s Department of Radiology, and colleagues wrote Dec. 2 in JACR.
The Radiological Society of North America task force completed its survey in August 2020, targeting 105 vice chairs, with a 44% response rate. Participants were asked to quantify COVID’s impact on research at the height of the pandemic and during subsequent recovery periods. The survey did not make participants pinpoint precise dates for these occurrences, since coronavirus surges varied geographically. It also asked them to indicate the level of research activity compared to normal times, using a scale of 25% to 120%.
About 66% of wet/instrumentation lab and core facilities’ research activities were completely halted during shutdowns, dropping to about 10% during ramp-ups. More than 89% of those surveyed said prospective, non-COVID clinical research fell to 25% or less of pre-pandemic levels, which increased to about 47% during the aftermath. About half of such prospective investigations were halted amid pandemic peaks.
Computational lab work was the only type of research to see a significant uptick. About 30% of such facilities experienced no changes amid pandemic shutdowns, and more than 9% saw an increase to 120% of baseline. Ramp-ups saw 43% of computational labs experience no changes and 7% saw increases of 120%.
Mossa-Basha said their data can help radiology leaders better understand any recent “discontinuity” of faculty and lab research productivity and inform promotion considerations. Academic institutions experienced reductions in data analysis from closed labs and limited research activities from students and international fellows. The authors urged academic institutions to bolster their virtual infrastructure to help address these possible pain points during future crises.
“With the capabilities of performing computational analysis from home, an increased focus from departments to support artificial intelligence research could help maintain research activities during future shutdowns,” the authors advised. “Creation of virtual research educational materials and interactive workshops on grant writing, research methodology and manuscript writing can help radiologists conduct virtual research activities with appropriate guidance through periods of reduced clinical responsibilities and remote work.”
Read more about their findings in the Journal of the American College of Radiology here.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.