Why Radiology Is More Open to Change Than Ever Before
Radiology has been through major technology shifts before. The transition to PACS in the 1990s made radiology one of the first fully digital specialties. Speech recognition and reporting tools followed, becoming core parts of the workflow. But, in many cases, those transitions were difficult.
In this webinar clip, Demetri Giannikopoulos, Chief Innovation Officer at Rad AI, Adam E. Flanders, MD, RSNA Board Member and Professor of Radiology at Thomas Jefferson University and Melissa A. Davis, MD, MBA, Vice Chair of Medical Informatics at Yale University, reflect on those past changes — and why the current moment with AI feels different.
As Giannikopoulos points out, radiology has often been cautious when it comes to change. The work is highly optimized, and even small disruptions can impact performance.
That hesitation is understandable. Radiology operates with a strong focus on efficiency and precision. Workflows are refined over time, and changes — especially large ones — can be difficult to adopt.
Dr. Flanders notes that earlier transitions, like moving from film to digital systems or adopting speech recognition, required significant adjustment. Many radiologists had to learn entirely new ways of working, often without much time or support.
At the same time, the environment today is different. One factor is familiarity with technology.
As Dr. Flanders explains, many radiologists training and practicing today have grown up using digital tools. The shift is no longer from analog to digital — it’s within a digital environment. That changes how new technologies are perceived.
Another factor is volume.
Imaging volumes have increased significantly over time. As Dr. Flanders describes, if volumes hadn’t increased so dramatically, there might be less urgency to change. But with higher volumes comes more pressure.
Radiologists are expected to maintain quality while managing increasing workloads. In that context, there’s greater openness to tools that can help them do their job effectively while maintaining a sustainable pace.
Dr. Davis adds another angle: expectations shaped by everyday technology.
Clinicians use modern, highly capable tools in their daily lives. When workplace systems feel slower or more limited by comparison, that gap becomes more noticeable. At the same time, healthcare has historically adopted technology more cautiously, given the need for validation, regulation and patient safety.
Still, as expectations rise and pressures increase, there’s a growing push to close that gap.
This clip is part of a broader discussion on how radiology is evolving — from past technology transitions to current approaches around AI, workflow and adoption. To hear the full conversation, access the on-demand webinar.
