3 Questions Radiologists Should Ask Themselves Before RSNA 2025
Each year at RSNA, the future of radiology takes center stage. This year, that future looks to be louder, brighter, and more crowded than ever. Attendees should expect the showroom floor to be flooded with AI demos, with each booth featuring a solution that promises to streamline workflows, speed up studies, and push the limits of automation.
But before diving into demos and vendor pitches, radiology leaders should pause and reflect.
The most critical part of evaluating an AI solution isn’t the product itself, but your organization’s readiness to use it effectively. Being clear on your internal capabilities and priorities ensures that the solutions you explore will actually improve workflows, reduce burnout, and benefit patient care.
Here are three questions radiology leaders should be asking themselves before heading to RSNA 2025.
1. Are you ready for AI?
AI success is defined by the organization implementing it, not just the sophistication of the model. How much experience does your practice or department have with LLMs? What capabilities do your existing AI partners provide?
Before you even consider bringing new tools into your organization, evaluate whether or not your teams, processes, and governance structures are actually prepared for responsible adoption. Once these questions have been answered, you’ll be ready to ask RSNA vendors how their technology supports your existing infrastructure and aligns with your long-term strategy. Do they provide clear visibility into how their models make decisions? Can they integrate into your governance framework for safety, transparency, and accountability?
Having an established framework for AI governance not only future-proofs your organization, ensures you’re prepared to keep pace with AI innovation. Explore our ebook on building an effective AI governance framework to prepare ahead of RSNA.
2. What’s the real problem we’re trying to solve?
It’s easy to get swept up in the promise of AI, but clarity starts with understanding your organizational pain points. Where are your biggest bottlenecks? Which tasks are slowing radiologists down or fueling burnout? Are workflow gaps leading to delayed follow-ups or missed findings?
Keep the answers to these questions in mind as you go booth to booth. Without a clear sense of purpose, it’s easy to wind up with a patchwork of disconnected solutions and a bad case of “pilot fatigue.” That’s an expensive problem to have.
The right partner won’t rush you toward deployment. They’ll help you identify potential areas of impact that can improve workflow efficiency, deliver tangible results for patients, and elevate the role of the radiologist.
3. What does success look like for our team and patients?
Before asking vendors how their tools work, define what meaningful impact would look like in your practice. Is success faster report turnaround? Fewer follow-up errors? Improved radiologist satisfaction and engagement? Clear internal metrics make it easier to separate tools that sound impressive from those that actually deliver results.
Next: Questions Radiologists Should Be Asking at RSNA 2025
Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll be ready to hit RSNA with a sharper lens. In our next blog, we explore the three critical questions radiologists should be asking vendors to ensure the solutions they see on the floor truly deliver value.
