White Paper Report of the 2011 RAD-AID Conference on International Radiology for Developing Countries: Integrating Multidisciplinary Strategies for Imaging Services in the Developing World

Abstract

The 2011 RAD-AID Conference on International Radiology for Developing Countries discussed data, experiences and models pertaining to radiology in the developing world, where widespread shortages of imaging services significantly reduce health care quality and increase health care disparity. This white paper from the 2011 RAD-AID Conference represents consensus advocacy of multidisciplinary strategies to improve planning, accessibility and quality of imaging services in the developing world. Conference presenters and participants discussed numerous solutions to imaging and healthcare disparities including: (1) economic development for radiology service planning, (2) public health mechanisms to address disease and prevention at the population and community levels, (3) comparative clinical models to implement various clinical and workflow strategies adapted to unique developing world community contexts, (4) education to improve training and optimize service quality, and (5) technology innovation to bring new technical capabilities to limited-resource regions.

Radiology and Global Health: The Case for a New Subspecialty

“…For instance, the United Nations (UN) and the WHO held two recent hearings on this topic, and they have committed to publishing and updating imaging education and outreach materials for partner countries (4,(7)(8)(9). The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), American College of Radiology (ACR), the Royal College of Radiologists, UK (RCR) and the European Society of Radiology (ESR) also have international programs, which provide travel grants for staff and trainee radiologists to serve in the developing world.…”

“…The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), American College of Radiology (ACR), the Royal College of Radiologists, UK (RCR) and the European Society of Radiology (ESR) also have international programs, which provide travel grants for staff and trainee radiologists to serve in the developing world. Collaborations have been successfully implemented in Rwanda and Haiti (5,8,9). The International Society of Pediatric Radiology (ISPR) has also announced expanded international programs for pediatric radiology (5,9).…”

Surveying the Current State of International Outreach in Radiology Training Programs

“…International outreach is a growing area of interest within the field of radiology, which has traditionally lagged behind other specialties in resident engagement abroad (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). Primary care and medical subspecialty physicians tend to dominate global health research, aid and governance, as well as decision-making positions in state departments and ministries of health (6).…”

2014 RAD-AID Conference on International Radiology for Developing Countries: The Road Ahead for Global Health Radiology

“…Our discussion begins by exploring the definition of global health, in efforts to better define "global health radiology," as a way of clarifying the various roles and strategies that the radiology community is using to assist resourcelimited and impoverished communities in the developing world. The discussion of terminology and definitions serves as an important foundation for understanding radiology approaches presented at the sixth annual RAD-AID Conference pertaining to (1) economic development, (2) technology innovation, (3) clinical model implementation, (4) educational approaches, and (5) public health policies for assisting half of the world's population still lacking adequate access to radiologic services [2].…”

“…Using this definition of global health radiology, and referencing previous RAD-AID Conference white papers defining health care disparity [4] and health care access [5,6], it is possible to discuss the multidisciplinary themes, strategies, and outreach programs presented at the 2014 RAD-AID Conference.…”