HEALTH-POLICY IN RADIOLOGY - CARDIAC RADIOLOGY - A SURVEY OF ITS CURRENT STATUS

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. A number of pressures have taken their toll on cardiovascular (CV) imaging in radiology. We conducted a survey to develop accurate information about the current status of cardiac radio logy (CR) that might guide future responses and initiatives. METHODS. To assess the current status of CR, a survey form was sent to all 117 active radiologist members of the North American Society for Cardiac I maging (N = 72) and/or the Council on Cardiovascular Radiology of the American Heart Association (N = 98). The topics of inquiry included 1) present CR staffing; 2) specific adult and pediatric CR activities (c ardiac plain-film interpretation, cardio-angiography (CA), echocardiog raphy, nuclear cardiology (NC), and CV magnetic resonance imaging (MRI ); 3) CR instruction of radiology residents; and 4) CR fellowship acti vities. RESULTS. The survey was concluded with 64 (55%) individual res ponses from 58 (67%) different centers with CR groups. An overall need for CR staff (average unfilled positions/center = 0.4) was indicated. Regarding CR activities, the following were reported: 1) universal ca rdiac plain-film interpretation by radiologists, with most CR groups i nvolved (adult, 64%; pediatric, 64%); 2) moderate CR contributions to CA (adult, 62%; pediatric, 57%), of which cine interpretation was the most common form (79% and 85%, respectively); 3) rare CR involvement i n echocardiography (adult, 9%; pediatric, 6%); 4) low-level CR involve ment in NC (adult, 16%; pediatric, 17%), but high level when combined with that of nuclear medicine (93% and 91%, respectively); and 5) almo st universal radiology responsibility for CV MRI (adult, 96%; pediatri c, 96%), with extensive CR involvement (77% and 82%, respectively). Of 46 reporting academic centers, most (76%) required CR training of res idents; a smaller proportion (33%) of all centers offered CR fellowshi ps. CONCLUSIONS. Because of the insights gained from this survey, reco mmendations can be better made to strengthen CR based on a foundation in plain-film interpretation, computed tomography, NC, and MRI.