Nine noteworthy trends are driving diagnostic imaging in 2022, according to new research from Alliance Healthcare Services released Wednesday.
Each year, the Irvine, California, radiology and oncology services provider predicts the developments that will influence imaging in the coming months. PET/CT tops the list for 2022, with other items including the “Great Resignation,” supply chain stresses and cybersecurity.
“These trends represent the business, market, and technology dynamics that imaging leaders cannot afford to ignore,” Alliance Healthcare Radiology said in an email announcing the new infographic.
Here’s a quick look at the list:
9. Margins on thin ice: Escalating costs for everything from labor to supplies are squeezing diagnostic imaging providers’ “already thin” earnings. One recent analysis pegged radiology as one of the most in-demand specialties, with docs scoring hefty bonuses for their work amid fierce competition for talent.
8. Site of care shifts closer to home: The pandemic has helped further drive demand for virtual and home-based offerings. But with hospital-grade homecare still not the norm, mobile imaging offers patients the “next best thing,” Alliance said. Providers have taken note of this demand, launching the nation’s first mobile lung cancer screening program and buying up mobile imaging providers to bolster their home-based solutions.
7. Cybersecurity is key: An “influx” of recent attacks have placed hospitals and other provider entities on alert. Just this month, prominent imaging practice Charlotte Radiology revealed that hackers targeted its patient records, and Alliance itself was recently targeted with a lawsuit stemming from a cyber breach.
6. Patient experience: Go big or go home: Amid the advent of high-deductible health plans and price transparency initiatives, patients are being more careful about where they receive imaging and other services. Ease of access to online comparison tools is further fueling this trend, with imaging services and especially MRI “highly” shoppable offerings. One recent study found that consumers are even willing to pay more for higher quality radiology care.
5. Supply chain stresses continue to permeate: Managing a hospital or practice’s flow of goods and services has become a “central concern” in radiology. Alliance warns leaders in the specialty to “prepare for supply disruptions and delays through the coming years.” Vendors such as Philips and Agfa have echoed these concerns, and one recent analysis warned that supply chain challenges could place increasing pressure on providers’ margins.
4. The Great Resignation in motion: Shortages for key positions such as nurses, radiologists and rad techs are plaguing the specialty and other industries across the U.S. Demand for such professionals is expected to remain strong in 2022, with sourcing sufficient staffing “more important than ever” in the coming months. One 2021 analysis estimated the physician shortage in radiology and other specialties could surpass 35,000 in the next decade, though artificial intelligence may provide some relief.
3. The road to transparency isn’t so clear: Price transparency initiatives are gaining team as the federal government looks to rein in healthcare costs. In the near-term, Alliance believes the ramifications will be minimal, though providers should expect further initiatives to take hold in the long-term, including 2022’s ban on surprise medical bills.
2. Diversification is everything: Consolidation continues to take hold in radiology and other segments of medicine, with new players from outside healthcare also entering the fray. Alliance urged imaging providers to stay competitive by seeking opportunities to diversify. As an example, it pointed to its own recent merger with Akumin Inc., creating one of the largest radiology services providers in the country with 230-plus imaging and oncology centers.
1. PET/CT comes into focus: Developments in the modality, driven by new radiopharmaceuticals, are presenting promising opportunities for PET providers to grow volumes as trends bounce back to pre-pandemic levels. The Cleveland Clinic also recently named PSMA PET as one of its top 10 innovations to watch in 2022.
You can read Alliance Healthcare’s full list of 2022 trends to watch here and the 2021 list 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.