Volume matters

Ran into a radiology colleague today.  He will retire soon, and was happy to discuss the stress on radiology.  I have observed more interpretation errors (or at least I think I have) over the past 5 years.  We now strongly stress that the learners review all films and question radiology reads. My friend opined that volume expectations have become “unsustainable”.  We order too many imaging studies.  When you ask physicians to “ramp up the volume”, they make errors.  As he described volume expectations and the impact on his field, I immediately categorized his laments as the same laments we hear in primary care and hospital medicine. An underlying principle that insurers and policy “experts” do not understand frames the issue.  You hurt patients when physicians cut corners.  The predictable implication of excess volume is that physicians must cut corners. Some patients require a 30 minute visit, yet administrators tell their physicians that they must average 15 minute visits.  Radiology errors occur when the radiologist does not have the proper amount of time to spend carefully examining each film.  The same concept occurs for virtually all subspecialties. Physicians generally have pure intentions.  We want to help our patients.  How can we help each individual patients properly if we do not provide the appropriate attention to their problems?  We should spend enough time talking with the patients and examining them.  We shoul...
Source: DB's Medical Rants - Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Tags: Medical Rants Source Type: blogs