Radiology at a Breaking Point: How Outdated Tech Drives Burnout
Radiology has always been a demanding specialty, but radiologists aren’t burning out from patient care; they’re burning out from outdated tech. Legacy imaging systems were never designed for the pace, complexity, or scale of modern radiology. On-premise PACS, siloed AI integrations, clunky reporting tools, and endless integration layers all force radiologists to click, click, click, click, and you guessed it, click again.
This isn’t just frustrating. It’s destabilizing the workforce. Researchers from the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute published a pair of companion studies in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, projecting both radiologist supply (workforce) and imaging utilization (demand). The study found that the supply and demand curves are projected to grow at comparable rates, which implies that the current radiologist shortage is likely to persist unless action is taken. Researchers suggest that to reduce the shortage, more radiology residency slots should be offered, radiologist attrition at current practices must be improved, imaging volumes can be curbed through the implementation of appropriate use criteria, and technologies like AI can be utilized to enhance efficiency.
Technology Gets in the Way
At its core, burnout in radiology is about friction. For example, let’s take the suggestion of utilizing AI tools to improve efficiency. Despite the existence of over 500 FDA-cleared imaging tools, adoption remains low because radiologists need to launch separate tools to re-enter findings. Radiologists are further hindered by clunky workflows and a lack of context, as prior imaging and reports often reside in individual systems. The result is an unsustainable workload that leaves physicians feeling more like data-entry operators than clinicians. In the 2023 Medscape Radiologist Lifestyle & Burnout Report, 54% of radiologists reported feeling burned out. The top contributors were bureaucratic tasks, inefficient workflows, and the feeling of being “just a cog in the machine.” Nearly half of practices cite legacy software as a primary driver of low physician satisfaction and retention.
The Burnout Equation for Practice Leaders
Burnout doesn’t just affect morale; it also impacts the bottom line for leaders, as retention rates remain low, leading to diagnostic delays and frustrated referring physicians. Jay R. Parikh, MD, FACR, Professor of Diagnostic Radiology at MD Anderson Cancer Center and a member of the ACR Commission on Human Resources, said in the ACR Bulletin, “Fewer staff members mean reduced access to studies for patients and higher costs for healthcare systems. Hiring temporary employees to fill the gaps is not cost-efficient and really a Band-Aid approach.”
Darcy J. Wolfman, MD, a Clinical Associate at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, shared with ACR that most radiologists she has spoken to are not interested in typical burnout solutions, such as meditation or stress reduction classes. “I am in their camp, because many of these programs are established to treat the symptoms of burnout on a personal level, not the cause, which is systemic,” she points out. “Well-being programs that are designed to mitigate pain points in the workday, on the other hand, are very well-received.”
It’s clear that without fixing the technology foundation, no amount of recruitment or incentives can stop the churn.
Reversing the Trend with a Context-First Platform
If radiology is to thrive, if practices are to recruit, retain, and deliver timely care, the technology has to change. Sirona RadOS™ was designed to do what legacy systems never could: remove friction from the radiologist’s day. Sirona automatically surfaces relevant prior studies and series in the viewer. This reduces error by enabling side-by-side comparison and decreases the risk of unnecessary repeat imaging. The platform also remembers how each radiologist prefers their studies displayed, reducing setup time for physicians, increasing consistency, and making personalized reading a reality. Structured reporting is also embedded directly into the platform and can auto-populate from AI outputs and measurements. Radiologists can save on dictation time, and it standardizes quality across the practice. And, standardized quality equals reduced variability for referring physicians and fewer questions for physicians.
The Path Forward
Sirona’s cloud-based architecture is the first to support remote reading without compromising performance, enabling physicians to have more flexible schedules and increased opportunities for teleradiology. By eliminating inefficiencies and restoring control, Sirona empowers radiologists to practice medicine, not manage software.
Dr. Jon Mansur shared in an interview with Sirona that, “It’s about lifestyle flexibility. Imagine reading for seven hours at one site, then having the freedom to work out or attend your kid’s flag football game, come home, and read for another site if desired, without losing productivity. Tools that adapt to your life and practice can prevent burnout before it starts, not to mention allowing a greater patient population access to a radiologist.”
Burnout is not inevitable; it’s the byproduct of a system that has forced radiologists to work with tools never designed for them. Sirona RadOS™ offers that change: a reimagined platform that reduces clicks, restores context, and gives radiologists the flexibility and personalization they’ve long deserved.
Learn more in our blog post: Going Against the Status Quo: From Assembly Line Reads to a Personalized Practice.