Radiology plays a crucial role in modern medicine, answering essential diagnostic questions pertaining to nearly every pathology facing clinicians. The rising demand for imaging services, coupled with an aging population and ever-increasing shortage of radiologists, creates the perfect storm for backlogs on a reading list.
A 2024 study in the Journal of Clinical Imaging found that 68% of surveyed radiology practices had unreported radiology exams. At seven days post-imaging, nearly half had unreported brain and chest CT scans, while 59% had unreported chest radiographs. Even at six months, about 20% of these studies remained unreported. Clearing backlogs has become part and parcel of a diagnostic radiologists’ workflow.
The consequences are significant. Delayed imaging interpretation can extend inpatient stays, postpone treatment and lower patient satisfaction. Backlogs may also contain critical findings — such as brain tumors, metastatic staging of malignancies or strokes — leading to poorer outcomes. Treating physicians, who rely on timely imaging, may struggle to determine the next steps in patient care without prompt radiologic input.
A Clinical Radiology study by Cliffe, et al. underscores this risk, stating, “Delayed reporting of diagnostic imaging threatens effective service delivery. Unreported studies generate diagnostic and treatment delays, risking avoidable patient anxiety and harm, departmental reputational and financial cost.”
For patients, these delays mean longer wait times for diagnoses and treatments. In emergency settings, backlogs can increase morbidity and mortality. In outpatient care, they can cause distress and anxiety, especially for those awaiting critical results. Beyond the immediate impact on patient care, backlogs disrupt coordinated treatment efforts and create inefficiencies across the healthcare system.
Backlogs in the reading room develop when imaging volume surpasses reading capacity, causing delays in addressing urgent patient needs and clinical questions. As both academic and private reading groups take on more responsibilities across outpatient imaging centers and inpatient diagnostics, the sheer number of scans ordered inevitably exceeds what radiologists can keep up with. As a result, critical findings can end up sitting in the queue.
While many health systems have attempted administrative incentives and protocols, they’ve only minimally impacted turnaround times. Radiologists face increased stress and burnout as imaging volumes rise, necessitating longer hours and faster read times — conditions that increase the risk of diagnostic errors.
The pressure to balance efficiency with accuracy places radiologists in a challenging position, with potential medico-legal consequences if critical findings are missed. The continuous influx of unread studies can diminish job satisfaction and contribute to high attrition rates within the profession.
AI plays a crucial role in backlog reduction by analyzing images in real-time and identifying high priority studies with radiographic pathologies. Suspected positive findings are immediately flagged and moved to the top of the reading list, allowing radiologists to address urgent cases first.
This results in an overall increase in positive prioritization time, ensuring that patients with critical imaging findings receive results before negative scans, or less urgent findings, within the backlog.
In this domain, AI’s impact is twofold:
By implementing AI-driven prioritization with intelligent orchestration, radiologists can better optimize their workflow, reduce turnaround times for high-risk patients and minimize delays in treatment.
Radiology backlogs present a significant challenge to modern healthcare, affecting both radiologists and patients. AI-powered solutions have the potential to alleviate these backlogs by improving workflow efficiency, prioritizing critical cases and ensuring timely, accurate diagnoses — without compromising quality of care.
As imaging volumes continue to rise, leveraging technology to streamline radiology workflows is no longer just an option but a necessity. In radiology, time isn’t just about efficiency — it’s about life.
Ready to start battling your backlog?
Schedule a demo to learn how Aidoc’s AI can help.
Aidoc experts, customers and industry leaders share the latest in AI benefits and adoption.
Explore how clinical AI can transform your health system with insights rooted in real-world experiences.
Learn how to go beyond the algorithm to develop a scalable AI strategy and implementation plan.
Explore how Aidoc can help increase hospital efficiency, improve outcomes and demonstrate ROI.
