At the same time, however, Dr. Luker, professor of radiology, microbiology and immunology, and biomedical engineering at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor where he serves as associate chair for clinical research in the Department of Radiology, suggested that radiology departments and practices will face another challenge in returning to normal practice. Patients may not be so willing to return for exams such as mammography and lung cancer screening for a number of reasons, he said.

“I think resuming these exams could be difficult for some patients because they either don’t think this is as critical as they did pre-pandemic, or they may not even have insurance because of employment issues,” Dr. Luker said. “Hospitals and private practices will need to make concerted efforts to reach out to these people and try to convince them that there is a worthwhile risk/benefit ratio in returning for these exams.”


Singapore Learned from Experience

While Singapore was hit harder and earlier by the pandemic than the U.S., the country had the advantage of learning important lessons during the SARS outbreak in 2003, according to Bien Soo Tan, MD, professor, vascular and interventional radiology, Singapore General Hospital, and a member of the RSNA COVID-19 Task Force.

As a result, protocols for getting back to business were already in place, paving the way for a smoother post-COVID-19 transition.

“Infection prevention and control became an integral focus for all staff in Singapore General Hospital during SARS and we were constantly training and auditing ourselves to prepare for the next big disease outbreak,” Dr. Tan said. “Over the years, we have also designed our radiology infrastructure to allow for segregation of patients with different infection risks.”

For example, the hospital separates inpatient and outpatient imaging and interventional facilities and has also created negative pressure ultrasound, CT and MRI rooms for safely imaging infected patients.

Singapore General Hospital has also made a number of workflow changes and adjustments as the pandemic evolved, Dr. Tan said. He added that it is critical that all changes have been coordinated at national and institutional levels.

“For example, we screen our patients based on our institution’s protocols to identify patients at risk of infection,” Dr. Tan said. “We are focusing on initiatives to prepare our patients before they show up for their imaging appointments. This is with the intent of reducing patient wait time in the hospital. The need for enhanced infection prevention measures and physical distancing have also meant a slower throughput, and we have therefore adjusted our schedules so that we can continue to serve our patients.”

European News Homepage