For the layperson, what is radiology and what does a radiologist do? A radiologist is a medical doctor trained in interpreting medical imaging (X-rays, CT, MRI, ultrasound, etc.) and performing certain procedures (barium, arthrograms, biopsies, etc.). Radiologists work closely with primary care and specialty physicians in caring for their patients. Although the radiologist is one doctor most patients never meet, they play an important role in the health care equation. Their interpretation guides your doctor in deciding how to effectively treat your symptoms. Radiology training begins in medical school, followed by a 1-year internship, a 4-year residency, and up to 2 additional years of optional fellowship training in a particular subspecialty of radiology, such as breast imaging, cardiovascular radiology, neuroradiology or musculoskeletal radiology. You can find radiologists in the hospital and at out-patient imaging centers. Because of the nature of the work, radiologists are typically part of a group which can be as small as five to as large as one hundred. 

Dr. Patel, in the way we all can choose our primary care physician or specialist - is it OK to choose our own radiologist? It is not only appropriate but highly recommended that patients research and choose their radiologist. Patients should know exactly where their scans are being performed, the type and quality of equipment being used and the radiologist reading their studies. All of these things make a difference.

What about customer service in the radiology specialty - how important is that now in today’s patient choice options? Patients are “consumers of medicine” and since most people have a choice where and from whom to receive their care, customer service becomes critically important. Finding a great doctor is one thing but finding one with an office that is warm, caring and inviting is just as important. How easy is it to make an appointment? Are the hours convenient? Is the staff friendly? How quickly will my doctors get the reports? These are but a few of the many questions patients should ask themselves when deciding amongst the many choices in out-patient radiology.

What advances have transpired in radiology in the recent years, and how will they benefit the patients? Radiology has advanced considerably in the last twenty years... mostly on the basis of advances in computer technology. We are now able to perform scans that are faster, safer and more accurate than ever before. Patient diagnosis and care has benefited tremendously. Radiology has had a profound impact on the health care industry and in clinical practice specifically. Advances in radiology have changed the process of diagnosing, treating and studying diseases and ailments, opening up a range of possibilities for patients.  

As with any medical specialty changing constantly, where do you see radiology in the future and will the role of radiology change? The future is very bright. Computers and technology are becoming faster and more capable, so radiology is keeping up step by step. In our lifetime, we’ve already seen some incredible advances, such as Coronary CTA (non-catheter, non-invasive  angiogram of the coronary arteries); hi-resolution PET / CT (state of the art in cancer imaging); and low dose ASiR™ technology (a dramatic reduction in CT radiation dose without significant loss in image quality.)