Saving Radiology: A Modest Proposal for Branding and Promoting Our Specialty in 2007

摘要

The practice of diagnostic radiology in the United States is under assault on many fronts. There is declining reimbursement from the federal government, most recently with the Deficit Reduction Act, with probably much more to come in the near future. Domestically, an onslaught of new entrants are taking away large portions of imaging from us. There is serious discussion of outsourcing much of what we do to overseas competitors. These and many other crises in our profession are symptoms of a deeper problem we face in the United States in 2007. We are suffering from a severe lack of appreciation and understanding of what we do by the citizens we serve. This editorial discusses how a national effort to brand and promote our specialty is an important first step toward addressing many of the ills we face. This is a proposal for achieving one of the things we need to do to save radiology in the coming years.