Admission Privileges and Clinical Responsibilities for Interventional Radiologists

Abstract

Although clinical involvement by interventional radiologists in the care of their patients was advocated at the inception of the specialty, the change into the clinical paradigm has been slow and patchy for reasons related to pattern of practice, financial remuneration or absence of training. The case for the value of clinical responsibilities has been made in a number of publications and the consequences of not doing so have been manifest in the erosion of the role of the interventional radiologists particularly in the fields of peripheral vascular and neuro intervention. With the recent recognition of interventional radiology (IR) as a primary specialty in the USA and the formation of IR division in the Union of European Medical Specialists and subsequent recognition of the subspecialty in many European countries, it is appropriate to relook at the issue and emphasize the need for measures to promote the clinical role of the interventional radiologist.

Experience and results after the implementation of a radiology day unit in a reference hospital

“…The fact that the radiologist is in charge of the patient before, during, and after the procedure is a paradigm shift from a professional perspective. This was particularly surprising for radiologists at the Abdominal and Thoracic Radiology sections since they are less used to patient care and management than, for instance, vascular interventional radiologists [ 7 , 21 , 22 ]. Over time, radiologists who were reluctant to the opening of the RDU turned out to be its main supporters, especially because of the level of safety that comes from having the patient "in situ" with the support of specialized nursing personnel and vascular interventionism colleagues in case of severe complication.…”

The Pattern of Publications on Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations and Cavernomas in the Middle East and North Africa

“…could be explained, in part, by the current structure of practice in the MENA countries where the interventional radiologists are not the primary physicians for these patients. [12] Regarding publications by the type of study design, the case report was found to be the most common study method used with 59 (62.7%) articles, followed by retrospective study (19 [20.2%]) and experimental study (7 [7.4%]) respectively [ Figure 2]. This is a reflection on the lack of a structured environment to conduct high-impact research projects in the MENA region.…”

Leadership in Interventional Radiology – Fostering a Culture of Excellence

“…Currently, in many countries, IR suffers from a lack of participation in clinical practice and behaves as a silent referral partner. 14,15 This can be traced back to the roots of IR within diagnostic radiology. Charles Dotter, the godfather of IR, stated as early as the 1968 American College of Surgery meeting (4 years after the first publication on angioplasty) that if Interventional Radiologists did not provide the clinical care before and after their procedures, they would be considered nothing more than 'high-priced plumbers', seen only as technologists rather than true physicians.…”