The Future Then and Now

In 1993, I was involved in transforming the first U.S. hospital from film to electronic medical image management via my personal computer-based PACS company, DR Systems. At that time, most radiologists believed they had perfected efficiency. What benefits could a computer provide compared to an alternator (motorized light box) pre-loaded with film? Many overlooked the downsides of film (particularly the giant film companies), such as their frequent loss and inability to be at two places at once.  In those days, prompt transcription meant reports were ready in a day or two. That also meant that every hospital and ER radiology report had to be verbally communicated or handwritten on a slip of paper prior to the completion of transcription.

I told radiologists reluctant to change, "If you keep doing what you are doing, you've just had your best day at work." Personal computers and associated software swept through industry in the 1980's and 1990's, a huge achievement that improved our lives. PACS and speech recognition were radiology's slice of that achievement. Today, the world is experiencing another huge wave, the advent of AI-enabled, cloud computing. Once again, there will be many anticipated and unanticipated benefits, and radiology will experience its slice of the achievement.  For any radiologist that today thinks, "I'm already working at peak efficiency," I say, we've been here before. I'm looking forward to the day when radiologists will create reports without nearly as much talking, and where highly trained diagnosticians won't have to first search each image visually for findings. The most fun, effective, and efficient day of radiology practice is still in the future.