Remote working is likely to remain in some form after concerns over COVID-19 decrease.
COVID-19 drastically changed the way radiologists work – and it’s likely that most of those alterations will stick around once the pandemic is better under control. In fact, radiologists can potentially look forward to a hybrid working model.
In an opinion article published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, industry experts Robert M. Kwee, M.D., Ph.D, from Zuyderland Medical Center, and Thomas C. Kwee, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Groningen, both in The Netherlands, laid out how the benefits of remote working could linger.
“Working from home is a strategy to give radiologists more autonomy and freedom. We believe that it can improve moral, reduce risk of burnout, and enhanced the performance of radiologists,” they said. “The COVID-19 pandemic has inspired many radiologists to permanently change their working habits, in a similar way as office workers around the world.”
The Ups and Downs
Alongside protecting providers and patients from viral infection, working from home has had clear benefits for radiologist – but the positives have come with some negatives.
On the upside, remote work:
However, the downsides include:
Hybrid Working
The sweet spot for maximizing the benefits of working from home could be a hybrid working model, they said. An alternating, hybrid schedule could be an effective way to maintain a good work-life balance.
“Over half of employees would prefer to work remotely at least three days a week once COVID-19 pandemic concerns recede,” they said. “We believe that a hybrid working style can also be adopted by many radiology departments, provided that they can ensure that an appropriate number of radiologists is present on-site to perform the necessary hands-on procedures and to perform patient consultations.”
To make it work, providers should work remotely three days, coming into the office for two. In addition, facilities should be sure that there are enough providers to conduct hands-on procedures and patient consultations, as well as teaching and supervision.
Technical Requirements
But, to make a home workstation as effective and compliant as possible, radiologists must be sure they meet minimum standards.
At home, radiologists should:
Overall, they said, this type of work model could re-cast the future of radiology practice.
“This new working paradigm may increase the efficiency and job satisfaction of radiologists,” they said. “There are potential downsides, including risk of decreasing social contacts. Nevertheless, we believe that they are outweighed by the benefits and potential for improvement.”
For more coverage based on industry expert insights and research, subscribe to the Diagnostic Imaging e-Newsletter here.
A Victory for Radiology: New CMS Proposal Would Provide Coverage of CT Colonography in 2025
July 12th 2024In newly issued proposals addressing changes to coverage for Medicare services in 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its intent to provide coverage of computed tomography colonography (CTC) for Medicare beneficiaries in 2025.
The Reading Room Podcast: Emerging Trends in the Radiology Workforce
February 11th 2022Richard Duszak, MD, and Mina Makary, MD, discuss a number of issues, ranging from demographic trends and NPRPs to physician burnout and medical student recruitment, that figure to impact the radiology workforce now and in the near future.
ACR Collaborative Model Leads to 35 Percent Improvement with Mammography Positioning Criteria
July 1st 2024Noting significant variation with facilities for achieving passing criteria for mammography positioning, researchers found that structured interventions, ranging from weekly auditing of images taken by technologists to mechanisms for feedback from radiologists to technologists, led to significant improvements in a multicenter study.
New Study Shows Non-Radiologists Interpreting 28 Percent of Imaging for Medicare Patients
June 28th 2024While radiologists interpreted approximately 99 percent of all non-cardiac CT, MRI and nuclear medicine studies in hospital and emergency department settings for Medicare beneficiaries, new research shows significantly less radiologist review of cardiac imaging and office-based imaging.