From the April 2018 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
By Suresh Vedantham
Every day, the health care community makes great strides in improving patient care through life-saving medications, research that leads to new discoveries and the development of innovative treatments that are safer and more effective.
Interventional radiologists are pioneering these new treatments and reaching further into the body to overcome some of the greatest treatment challenges. Often practicing alongside health care professionals of various specialties, their distinctive skills have made them an integral part of the patient’s clinical care team.
Interventional radiology plays a critical collaborative role with other specialties, enhancing the range of treatments and solutions offered to patients in the hospital setting. Interventional radiologists have long been known to other physicians as the experts in performing medical procedures that use imaging for guidance. But more recently, interventional radiology has cemented its reputation as a unique, patient-centered clinical service. This recognition is evident in the certification in 2012 by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the largest physician-led specialty certification organization in the U.S., of interventional radiology as a primary specialty of medicine. Hospitals and health systems are investing in these services and empowering interventional radiology departments, not only for the many benefits they provide to patients, but because they can offer so much to the institution as a whole.
Through minimally invasive, image-guided treatment of medical conditions that once required open surgery, interventional radiology is reconceptualizing the practice of medicine and setting new standards of care. By harnessing the power of advanced imaging, such as ultrasound and MRI, we can see deeper and more clearly into a patient’s body and treat complex ailments far less invasively. This reduces the length of hospital stays, minimizes potential complications and saves lives. These services also consistently improve patient satisfaction. As patients become better educated on their treatment choices, more patients are electing interventional radiology treatments. In addition, interest in interventional radiology among medical students is growing thanks to the new interventional radiology residency programs designed to enhance training in this specialty and expand access to interventional radiology treatments nationwide.
