Having just returned from spending time at a couple of rather large radiology practices, I am firmly in the technology zone that grips our profession at this time every year, especially in Chicago during RSNA. What struck me during my tours of the facilities is the fact that technology continues to be a most significant competitive weapon that bolsters the imaging practice against the continuing tide of lost referrals. And I don’t just mean the obvious high-end scanners that are the object of most discussions on the topic.

What is often critical to the success of the practice, whether hospital based or outpatient center, is the difference that can be made by having reports transcribed and delivered before they are expected, or by having the equipment up and running so that referring offices don’t have to re-schedule somewhere else at the last minute. Good technology translates into good-quality studies and good service.

Technology management, from information captured within the system to images, reports, billing, scheduling, etc generated out of the system and into the hands of the referring physician, is the lifeblood of the practice. Those charged with the enormous responsibility to acquire and maintain medical devices and technologies have emerged as important players within the imaging food chain, and it is to them that we dedicate this annual issue focused on the latest that our industry has to offer.

While Medical Imaging reviews yet another annual conference and the technical exhibits that represent the devices and services that will help keep the imaging practice as productive and competitive as it can be, the journal will be taking stock of its important mission to delve ever deeper into the roles and responsibilities of those charged with all aspects of the technology that supports the profession. In addition to the physician directing the process, our publication focuses on the physicist, the engineer, the technologist, the consultant, the administrator, the business manager, the systems and IT manager, and all of the layers in between. As the upcoming issues will illustrate, these technology managers will be featured along with the products and services that they manage.

Throughout my years in publishing, I have been personally involved in the field of radiology, both on the publishing and the practice management side. This is why I am very proud to be associated with this publication and will be focusing attention and resources on Medical Imaging as it navigates the waters of the imaging industry and leads the discussion on the role and impact of technology on the profession. We have a new location, and we’ll soon have a new look, with new features and a bolstered team of journalists to cover the news, trends, and events of the imaging industry, from the point of view of the technology that supports it.

We welcome your thoughts as we map out our next phase of conversation with the marketplace.

Curtis Pickelle
President, MWC
Publisher, Medical Imaging