To understand the issues facing radiologists, it is important to identify the changes over the past decade that have transformed how radiologists are being reimbursed and the impact this has had on their jobs. Significant declines in reimbursements, followed by rapidly changing payment models and interoperability initiatives, are all coming to a head under the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), one of two value-based reimbursement models under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA).

The driving force of healthcare technology advancement in recent years has focused on making it easier to share information among all members of the care team — including patients — to facilitate higher-quality care. Allowing greater connectivity comes with a price, however, as it makes personal health information (PHI) and other personal data more vulnerable to those with ill intentions. Cyberattacks on healthcare institutions as well as data breaches regularly make headlines as various individuals and entities seek to use this information for their own personal gain. To date, providers of all specialties — including radiology — have had trouble defending themselves against these invasions, and they must improve if they hope to maintain the trust of their patients.

As healthcare in the United States shifts focus to providing higher-quality care while keeping costs down, workflow efficiency is a guiding bedrock principle for providers. From this standpoint, few technologies have demonstrated greater promise for maximizing clinical and operational efficiency than mobile digital radiography (DR). Putting digital X-ray capability onto a mobile cart-based system allows healthcare facilities to bring the radiology department directly to the patient, allowing faster diagnosis, and in turn quicker exam turnaround and discharge times. As the the technology continues to evolve, vendors have focused on improving battery life, durability and wireless connectivity to further maximize the utility of these versatile systems.