President's Message 1/23/2007

January 23, 2007

Dear Indiana Radiological Society members and guests:

Welcome to the Indiana Radiological Society website. It is my privilege to serve as your president this year. The IRS serves as the organized voice of radiologists in Indiana, and as the representative voice of Indiana radiologists with the American College of Radiology.

Radiology has undrgone more change in recent years than any other specialty. There has been miraculous development of imaging technology.

This, coupled with the revolution in computing technology has changed and will change the practice of medicine forever. Long gone are oral cholecystograms and pneumoencephalograms (if anyone even remembers what those are), and it is likely tht they will be joined by other studies that seem to be dying, such as IVP's, myelography, and diagnostic angiography. These changes have certainly been in the interest of improved patient care.

However, as with many things, these changes are a double-edged sword. Along with these improvements, we have seen an explosion of imaging utilization and inappropriate use of imaging, much of it driven by non- radiologists. This has led to imaging being the largest contributor to accelerating health care costs for several years. Overutilization and inappropriate use of imaging when performed by nonradiologists is well documented in the literature, and much of it is driven by the inherent conflict of interest. These issues remain at the forefront of the IRS as well as at the national level.

Please set aside time to attend the spring meeting of the IRS on Saturday afternoon, March 31, 2007. There will be discussion on legislative and these other issues facing radiology on the state level. In addition, there will be a presentation from a representative of the American College of Radiology on these important issues from a national perspective as well.

The strength of our professional societies depends on the commitment and dedication of our members. It is common to think that someone else "will get 'er done", but our success will depend on the efforts of many people. Please consider becoming actively involved in the Indiana Radiological Society. Our ability to be proactive rather than reactive to these crucial issues will depend on the organized voice of our membership. I hope to see you March 31 in Indianapolis.

Sincerely,

James Wehrenberg, MD
President, Indiana Radiological Society