For the first time at an annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA; 25–30 November, Chicago, USA), interventional radiology (IR) companies showcased their products in a dedicated IR zone. This was supposed to make it easier for IRs to work with relevant companies.
John Kaufman, chair of the Department of Interventional Radiology and director of the Dotter Interventional Institute at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, USA, discussed this change in exhibitor space and what it means for the rising profile of IR in medical practice in the ITN [Imaging Technology News] podcast Hear and Now: Intervention Rising.
“For many years, I think IRs have had a sense that there is not a lot for me here, particularly on the exhibit floor,” Kaufman said. “The programming has really developed beautifully. [There has been a] big emphasis on oncology and other aspects of IR. But the floor for the interventionalist has not been as interesting.”
He continued: “It supports the whole concept that we have been trying to promote of this really tight relationship [between mainstream diagnostic radiology and interventional radiology]”, a change exemplified by the RSNA’s dedication of a part of the exhibit floor to interventional products. Kaufman added that recent changes in certification by the American Board of Radiology (ABR) support this burgeoning relationship.
The ABR has recently created a new certification, called Interventional Radiology/Diagnostic Radiology (IR/DR). IR/DR joins just three other specialties certified by the Board—Diagnostic Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics. The resulting new residency options available to medical students have created “tremendous interest” in IR.
