Vijay M. Rao, MD, FACR is the David C. Levin Professor and Chair of the department of radiology at Thomas Jefferson University. She is also senior vice-president of Enterprise Radiology, Jefferson Health, and the immediate past president of the Radiological Society of North America. As she receives ESR Honorary Membership today, she looks back on 30 years of work in a field she describes as globally united.

Radiology has come a long way from the days of plain film hypocycloidal tomography in head and neck imaging, a subspecialty to which Prof. Rao has dedicated most of her career. Technological innovations such as ultrasound, CT, MRI and PET have revolutionised the field, allowing for earlier diagnosis and greater insights into the pathophysiology of a host of diseases and conditions.

Professor Vijay M. Rao from Philadelphia, immediate past president of the RSNA, will receive ESR Honorary Membership today during the Grand Opening.

Radiology continues to evolve from anatomic to more physiologic and functional assessment of disease processes, with more precise quantification and minimally invasive therapeutic options.

Rapid technological advances have led to tremendous growth in radiology along with associated costs. But the digital age has introduced a number of previously non-existent opportunities to transform radiology practice, using tools powered by informatics and machine learning (ML). “Radiologists should explore ways to utilise these technological advances to add value and reduce waste in healthcare,” she said.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and ML applications are valuable tools that make radiologists more effective and increase their contributions to personalised and precision medicine. “AI can assist radiologists at a time when we are challenged to provide imaging services that are faster, safer and affordable, as well as information that is quantitative and precise. These new technologies will improve workflows in our daily practice, freeing up time for us to better position ourselves as integral members of the patient’s healthcare team,” she said.

The move toward value-based imaging continues to be the biggest trend in the US, where emphasis is placed on volume when structuring radiology practice. “Policymakers lack understanding of imaging’s contribution to patient care and the extent of services that radiologists provide. That is why we have begun the necessary transition to a value-based model of care, where radiologists are actively consulting with patients and their referring physicians as part of the healthcare team,” she explained. Read more…

Professor Federico G. Lubinus is full professor of radiology and director of the radiology residency programme at the autonomous university of Bucaramanga (UNAB) in Colombia. He is one of the leaders in South American radiology and he believes that bringing back ultrasound to the heart of radiological practice is key to the future growth of the specialty. His efforts will be acknowledged today as he receives ESR Honorary Membership.

When it comes to radiology, South America has very similar challenges to the rest of the world and a number of regional trends, Lubinus explained. “Big workloads, turf battles with other medical specialties, and challenges imposed by teleradiology and artificial intelligence are some of the many difficulties we have to deal with, not only as radiological societies but also as radiologists wondering about the role of the specialty in the near future,” he said.

Professor Federico G. Lubinus, who will receive ESR Honorary Membership at today’s Grand Opening, is one of the leaders in South American radiology.

But radiology practice in the continent is uneven and a major difference concerns radiology training, according to Lubinus, who currently heads the Latin American Educational Forum, a group that brings together radiological societies of South America to develop and advance educational issues in the region. “Training is dependent on the regulations of each country. There is great diversity both in the number of years of study required to be a specialist and in the minimum requirements demanded in each country, which makes it difficult to standardise programmes and perform appropriate evaluation of knowledge,” said Lubinus.

Lubinus is also director of the scientific committee of the Asociación Colombiana de Radiología (ACR), a society he served twice as president. Under his aegis, the ACR worked to have a standardised training programme, a tool that is now recognised by the Colombian ministry of education as the basis for evaluation and certification of radiology graduates, and radiologists who have received their certification abroad.

For the past four years, the Latin American Education Forum has also engaged in developing a standardised academic residency programme as a reference instrument for the validation of qualifications of Latin American radiologists, to improve the much needed certification and recertification in radiology.

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