Radiologists receive frequent criticism because their role is widely misunderstood

In a recent opinion piece published online in the Toronto Star, Ontario-based diagnostic radiologist Andrew Chung, MD, wrote that radiologists have been a frequent target of criticism recently because their role in healthcare is misunderstood by the media, the public and even their fellow colleagues.

Chung explained that the limited interaction radiologists have with patients is a partial reason why, but also because the role of radiologists has become more complex due to the growing amount of data available from electronic health records and an overall increased demand in workflow.  

“No other profession would expect that as the task becomes more complex, and as the information they provide becomes more accurate and more valuable to their clinical colleagues, their work would subsequently incur a drop in remuneration,” Chung wrote.  

“It is easy for non-radiologists to point fingers at the reasons for increased billings by radiology. However, the real reason is simple: the volume has increased. The need has increased. The reliance of medicine on imaging has increased. Radiologists have only tried to keep up with it.”  

Read the full opinion piece below.