Radiology
I am looking for a radiologist to write this section.
Physicians who work in the field of medical imaging are
often referred to as "radiologists" because this branch of
medicine had its origin in x-rays. But time and
technology have moved on, and there are more diverse choices
in medical imaging than ever, some of which do not involve the
use of x-rays, for example, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),
ultrasound and nuclear medicine (using radioisotopes).
How do you see your working practices changing if declining
oil reserves creates problems in the manufacture and
transportation of materials and the supply of funds?
Potential changes which one could argue might occur
include:
- greater use of technologies like ultrasound, MRI and
digital x-ray imaging which only require an input of
electricity (which could be generated locally)
- less use of technologies which require the import of
materials such as wet-film radiography and radioisotope
scanning
- less use of defensive radiology. For example, if a
minor and probably non-significant abnormality is seen on an
image, it is quite common at the present time for the
radiologist to recommend, and the treating physician to
order, a followup image a few weeks or months later "to
ensure stability". The detection rate of significant
treatable abnormalities in the second or third image
is probably much smaller than in the original
image. At what point do we say "a single image is
enough"?
For further information please see "Guidelines for
contributors" or contact info@postpeakmedicine.com
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