The always-quotable Saurabh Jha, MBBS, in an interview with JAMA on how AI will enhance imaging access and analysis.

Since its introduction in January 2024, the Apple Vision Pro headset has created a buzz in the consumer electronics world and even introduced the term “spatial computing” to the lexicon. But what impact will Apple Vision Pro have on radiology? In this episode of The Imaging Wire Show, we talked to two leading experts about the technology’s potential to revolutionize medical imaging.

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Radiologists

Radiologist Pay Rebounds

Radiologist pay grew 5.6% and radiology moved up one notch on Doximity’s list of highest-paid US medical specialties for 2023. Physician salaries generally rebounded last year after a decline in 2022.

The Doximity survey of 33k doctors found that overall physician pay grew 5.9% last year, a welcome rebound after a decline of 2.4% in 2022. 

• In other good news, medicine’s gender pay gap narrowed in the new survey, with women making 23% less than men, down from 26% in 2022 and 28% in 2021.

For radiologists, their average annual compensation was $532k, up from $504k a year ago, and radiology jumped ahead of urology on the top 10 list to occupy the ninth spot. 

• Still, radiology lagged a number of other specialties in terms of salary growth, ranging from hematology (+12.4%) to psychiatry (+7.2%). 

Other findings in the survey include …

• Some 81% of physicians reported they are overworked, a number that’s actually down from 86% in 2022
• 88% of respondents said their clinical practice has been affected by the physician shortage
• 86% of those surveyed said they are concerned about the US healthcare system’s ability to care for its aging population

The Doximity results roughly track recently released salary data from Medscape, which pegged radiologist salaries at $498k in 2023, up 3.1% and ranking sixth on the list of highest-paid specialties. 

The Takeaway

Say what you want about rising workload and burnout in radiology – radiologists are still among the best-compensated physicians in medicine. And the situation in the US is in sharp contrast to Japan, where radiology is one of the lowest-paid specialties (see our article in The Wire section below).

Keep Patients Engaged with Your Healthcare System

After using PocketHealth, 94% of patients are more confident about their healthcare experience. Learn how to increase follow-up adherence, improve communication, and provide screening tools to keep your patients on track with PocketHealth’s MyCare Navigator.

The Latest Molecular Imaging Innovations

Visit Siemens Healthineers at SNMMI 2024 to learn about the latest innovations in molecular imaging, from new advances in precision PET/CT to integrating theranostics for personalized prostate cancer treatments.

The Wire

• 3 Options for AI Reimbursement: Reimbursement has been one of the major factors limiting broader clinical use of AI. In a new article in JAMA Internal Medicine, authors propose three revisions to CMS reimbursement policy to foster wider AI diffusion without breaking the Medicare bank: 1. Bundle AI-enabled services with complementary clinical services. 2. When separate fees are set, use reference pricing to prevent prices that favor AI firms. 3. Reevaluate CMS reimbursement levels regularly to reflect AI’s impact on the cost of providing a service. 

• CARPL Gets First US 510(k) Clearance: AI platform company CARPL.ai has received FDA clearance – its first in the US – for its enterprise imaging AI platform. CARPL notes that its technology is novel in that it includes a universal AI viewer, giving radiologists the ability to use multiple AI applications through a single user interface. The platform includes over 110 AI applications from more than 50 vendors, and it has been adopted by healthcare systems around the world, from Brazil to Singapore.  

• Women Radiologists in Japan: A new survey in Labour Economics on female physicians in Japan offers interesting insights as US radiology tries to attract more women. Unlike the US, the fraction of Japanese female medical students picking radiology has risen steadily from 25% among women born 1968-1969 to 40% for those born 1980-1981 (the most recent US number is 27%). Researchers attributed the difference to lifestyle issues like radiology’s shorter training period and workweek in Japan; the downside is radiology is one of the country’s lower-paid medical specialties. 

• COVID-19’s Effect on Breast Screening: New research documents the COVID-19 pandemic’s negative impact on breast screening. In The Annals of Family Medicine, researchers examined EHR records for 1.2M women from 2017 to 2022, finding that screening rates plummeted by 81% from February to April 2020. Screening mostly rebounded by June 2020, but there was still a 2.5% decrease in follow-up screening rates, indicating “a significant number of missed screenings.” Women over 65 and minority women who were not Hispanic were less likely to return. 

• Mammography After Hours: In other breast screening news, new research in JACR indicates that after-hours appointments can boost mammography rates – and address healthcare disparities. Johns Hopkins began expanding evening and weekend appointments after the COVID pandemic, and saw the percentage of after-hours screenings in 67k women rise from 5.7% in 2015-2019 to 15% in 2022. Most likely to get after-hours screening were women younger than 50 (OR=2.66), Black women (OR=1.57), and women not speaking English (OR=1.32).  

• Enlitic Updates Data Standardization: Enlitic has released version 2.0 of its Ensight data standardization software. Ensight integrates the company’s ENDEX data standardization and ENCOG anonymization modules to generate standardized study and series descriptions from pixel and metadata embedded in medical images, also deidentifying any protected health information, enabling health providers to unlock value from the data. New functionality on Ensight 2.0 includes enhancements to AI data models and DICOM Structured Reporting and HL7 outputs for data sharing, as well as configurable standardized outputs.  

• Lung POCUS for Preemies: Quantitative lung ultrasound with POCUS can be used to guide surfactant therapy to treat respiratory distress syndrome in babies born prematurely. In a study of 157 preemies in JAMA Network Open, POCUS scans were performed three hours after birth; lung ultrasonography scores higher than 8 had the highest accuracy for predicting need for surfactant treatment (AUC=0.87), while scores lower than 4 indicated treatment wasn’t needed. Quantitative POCUS could replace fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO₂) levels for guiding surfactant therapy. 

• New Annalise Partnerships: Annalise.ai has cemented new partnerships with healthcare providers for its AI technology. In Malaysia, the company signed on Sunway Medical Centre to integrate its Enterprise CXR algorithm for chest X-ray triage and prioritization. Meanwhile in the UK, Annalise landed Bradford Teaching Hospitals, also for Enterprise CXR, to ensure that no critical findings are overlooked on chest radiographs. The company notes that Enterprise CXR can detect up to 124 findings on chest X-rays in seconds, helping radiologists prioritize urgent cases. 

• Billing Tips for Remote Reading: Everybody wins when radiologists are able to read medical images remotely. But billing for remote reading can differ from on-site billing, and radiology practices should take care to avoid running afoul of billing rules for different payors, especially Medicare and government programs. Fortunately, revenue cycle management firm Healthcare Administrative Partners offers a handy guide to billing for remote radiology reading with tips for avoiding complications. 

• Memory Complaints Linked to Tau Levels: A new study in Neurology found a correlation between patients with memory problems and tau neurofibrillary tangles measured by PET. MGH researchers measured tau levels in 675 people with a flortaucipir PET radiotracer, finding higher tau levels in those who had more complaints on a cognitive function index test. The findings show that PET-based tau measurements could be an early indicator – along with beta amyloid levels – of progression to mild cognitive impairment and/or Alzheimer’s disease.

• Medality Signs Toronto Radiology: Online medical education company Medality has signed a partnership to provide its case-based learning platform to Toronto Radiology. Medality will work with the radiology practice to provide a personalized and self-directed training program that includes interactive online microlearning courses as well as case-based simulation tools. Toronto Radiology is the academic subspecialty radiology practice at Unity Health Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto. 

• AI in Chronic SDH Study: Viz.ai is collaborating with the University of Texas Medical Branch to integrate its software into a UTMB research study of chronic subdural hematoma. The company’s Viz Subdural solution will be used as part of the CHESS trial to alert researchers when it detects a patient with suspected SDH who could be enrolled in the study. The collaboration illustrates the growing utility of AI as a patient-recruitment tool for research studies. Viz Subdural was cleared in 2022.

• Heuron Gets FDA Nod for ICH: South Korean AI developer Heuron has received FDA 510(k) clearance for Heuron ICH, an algorithm for automated triage and notification of intracerebral hemorrhage from non-contrast CT scans. The solution screens CT images for signs of ICH and alerts clinicians; studies found that it has a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 88%. Heuron ICH is the company’s fifth application to gain FDA clearance and targets a market segment that includes players like Aidoc, RapidAI, and Viz.ai.

• Cortechs Releases Prostate AI: Cortechs.ai is known mostly for its brain AI algorithms like NeuroQuant, but the company is entering the urology market with a new solution for detecting prostate cancer on MRI scans. The company’s FDA-cleared OnQ Prostate application uses a DWI-MRI protocol called restriction spectrum imaging – first used in NeuroQuant – to detect signs of restricted diffusion that could indicate aggressive cancer cells. Studies have shown RSI better detects prostate cancer than conventional imaging; Cortechs is now rolling OnQ Prostate out commercially through its distribution network.

New Industry Research on Cloud in Imaging

77% of imaging organizations rely on cloud – but most still haven’t fully integrated cloud or maximized its potential. Check out the new industry research report from Merge by Merative on enterprise cloud adoption and its challenges.

Catch Up with Live Fast 5

Missed any of Enlitic’s Live Fast 5 streams on LinkedIn? No worries! Catch all the action on their YouTube channel, including topics like de-identification and anonymization, AI tools for monetization, efficient data routing, and much more.

AI for Incidental Osteoporosis Findings

Looking to learn more about how AI is used for incidental osteoporosis findings? Watch this on-demand webinar from Blackford in which clinical leaders discuss the benefits of preventive care and share their real-life experiences.

The Resource Wire

• Apple Vision Pro and Radiology: The Apple Vision Pro headset has the potential to revolutionize how radiologists interact with medical images. In this Imaging Wire Show episode, we talked to radiologist Paul Murphy, MD, and Steve Deaton of Visage Imaging about its exciting future. 

• Clearly Superior Chest X-Ray Imaging: Chest X-rays can help identify many abnormalities, but interpretation is often difficult due to obstructing bone, patient positioning, and image quality. Book a demo to see how Riverain’s ClearRead Xray with Clear Visual Intelligence provides a clearly superior view of the chest.

• Transforming Cardiovascular Ultrasound Analysis: Learn how cardiovascular ultrasound is on the verge of transformation with the latest version of Us2.ai’s new echo AI analysis software, featuring 45 automated echo parameters for streaming clinical workflow.

• Efficiency, Mentorship, and Subspecialization in Radiology: In this episode of The Radiology Report podcast, Medality Co-Founder and CEO Daniel Arnold talks to Richard Duszak, MD, chair of the department of radiology at the University of Mississippi about efficiency, mentorship, and subspecialization in radiology.

• Your In-Workflow Copilot Experience: PowerScribe Smart Impression from Nuance harnesses generative AI to automatically generate draft impressions and recommendations, saving you time and reducing workload-related stress. Learn how it can become your in-workflow copilot today. 

• AI for Detecting Post-Traumatic Bone Fractures: Check out this new research paper to learn how Gleamer’s BoneView AI solution enhanced radiologists’ ability to detect post-traumatic bone fractures by identifying cases without abnormalities, translating into improved patient care. 

• Meet DeepHealth at a Show Near You: DeepHealth is coming to a conference near you! From SIRM in Milan to SIIM in Maryland, schedule a meeting to learn more about their innovative AI-powered health informatics portfolio and explore how they can tailor their offerings to meet your healthcare needs. 

• Presenting Unboxing AI: Check out CARPL’s brand-new video series, Unboxing AI, featuring experts discussing AI and its future in radiology. The next episode features John Crues, MD, of RadNet on May 31 – reserve your seat today. 

• Redefining Excellence in Molecular Imaging: United Imaging is set to disrupt molecular imaging once again at SNMMI 2024. Join the company for a product launch on June 9, or reserve your spot today for their June 9 evening event or June 10 satellite symposium.

• Ignite Your Imaging AI Strategy: Take your imaging AI strategy to the next level at SIIM 2024 by attending June 28 sessions on AI adoption and deployment from Calantic by Bayer, including planning an AI orchestration platform and the benefits of integrating AI in radiology departments. Reserve your spot today.

• Reimagine What’s Next with Intelerad: Every journey in healthcare is about seeking and providing answers. Intelerad is sharing a refined brand identity that encapsulates its commitment to simplifying the search for answers for both clinicians and patients. Learn more about what’s next today.

• Seamless Integration and Efficient Reading: TeraRecon’s latest Intuition advanced visualization solution now features seamless integration with Mirada Medical’s Mirada XD, providing efficient diagnostic reading with automatic multi-modality and multi-time point registration capabilities. Schedule a demo to learn more. 

• Start at the Source to Improve MRI: Looking for ways to improve MRI speed and image quality while addressing broader concerns in healthcare? The answer may lie in proven MRI physics in your existing scanner – learn how to unlock it with STAGE from SpinTech MRI. 

• Delighting Patients with Medical Image Sharing: A new platform from Clearpath now enables healthcare providers to delight their patients by sharing images and medical records digitally. Find out how it integrates simply into your practice.