Timothy V. Myers, MD

Let’s review my 2012 goals to image gently, learn more, be heard, and get involved in the health care community. There were some improvements, some shortfalls.

The formation and alternative approach of national radiology group Advanced Diagnostic Imaging has three potential outcomes for Strategic Radiology.

October isn’t just for breast cancer awareness. It’s also National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Here’s what you as a radiologist can do.

From the front desk to technologists to billing staff, a strong support team in a culture of honesty and respect will ultimately drive practice growth.

Radiologists are in the service business. A narrow view of your practice’s role focuses only on production and efficiency rather than improved patient care.

Understanding the radiology group practice environment is essential before planning or executing any operational plan. Here’s how to build that awareness.

Does your radiology group have a strong culture? Here’s why a new, energetic culture is the most valuable change-agent to ensure success now, and the future.

In this first part of a series on the changes facing radiology, we describe how to transform a radiology group to create and drive a new culture of activism.

The Supreme Court decision isn’t the end of changes we will see in radiology or health care. Only progressive and entrepreneurial radiology groups are likely to survive.

The more advanced and more complicated the disease process, the more likely the patient will end up with surgery and/or amputation, increasing the cost of initial care and the additional intervention.

If those of us who are in positions to evaluate and review hiring policies do not take a significant role in ensuring a level playing field then we are truly to blame.

In reality any radiology resident or radiologist who has taken the oral or written board examinations knows the use of recalls occurs.

We don’t typically think of it in the same way, but we are also closing another year on our lives as radiologists. And it seems that recently each year brings more change than the last. I began to wonder what a radiologist’s professional list of resolutions should look like. I put together a list that might act as a prototype.

We left off last week with a patient who was in distress, in denial, unsure of cost, unsure of value and unsure of the conflicting information they have received. This is clearly not the partner we need making important and sometimes life altering/threatening decisions as to therapeutic or diagnostic alternatives.

From the patient's point of view, a prominent focus of healthcare reform is to more directly interact with and include the patient in their healthcare decisions. While this is a laudable goal, there are a number of hurdles that need to be cleared in order to make this viable. I believe there are at least five reasons why most patients are not good partners when it comes to healthcare decisions for themselves or loved ones.

Ultrasound units have gradually become more portable over the years. This gives clinicians the ability to perform these examinations at the bedside, in the office and in the emergency room. The idea is that relatively untrained individuals (compared with ultrasound technologists or radiologists), whether clinicians, residents or medical students, are capable of providing an ultrasound imaging examination at the POC that is diagnostic and - equally as important - cost effective.

Radiologists and radiology groups are not moving far enough or fast enough to keep up with the current pace of the changes we see in healthcare, and we are not taking a large enough role as leaders to make an impact on those changes to be effective advocates for our patients, our clients or ourselves.

Last week, we started with the first five of 10 correctable mistakes. This week, I will finish the list. As always, we welcome your comments.

Why do many radiologists and practices still make easily correctable mistakes? Here are the first five of 10 common mistakes and how to correct them.