The COVID-19 pandemic has proved challenging to both the academic and industry communities in radiology, and there are at least six issues the two groups must address going forward, according to a report published September 6 in Academic Radiology.
On May 7, the Association of University Radiologists (AUR) held its annual academic-industry roundtable. Sixteen radiologists from 12 academic departments and radiological societies and 14 industry leaders from 11 companies participated. The panel identified the following six themes radiology and industry must address post COVID-19.
- Individual and organizational resilience: "The balance between experiencing joy with one's vocation and individual burnout remains an issue that academic radiology departments and radiology industry partners will definitely need to address to sustain adequate workforces," the group noted.
- Patient care disparities and inequities: "Building diverse teams, increasing access to healthcare across low resourced areas, and providing high-reliability imaging solutions would promote equity and inclusion with respect to health," the team wrote.
- Telehealth and remote work: "Vendors' operating systems, electronic medical records, PACS, and artificial intelligence tools must address interoperability issues," the panel warned.
- Prioritizing innovations and technological advances: "[New] individual modalities or combined modalities may help answer clinical questions more efficiently," the group wrote.
- Determining societal responsibility of radiology practices and industry: "The COVID-19 pandemic exposed not only health disparities but also other societal issues such as supply chain and sustainability," the team noted.
- Need for business models that support partnerships between academia and industry: "[Since] healthcare professionals and industrial corporations were largely unprepared to deal with a global pandemic, there is a need to devise and establish new business models promoting sustainable partnerships between academia and industry," the group concluded.
