AJR Podcasts

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/ajrradiology.bsky.social

*These sections were generated using artificial intelligence (Descript and Google Gemini) and then reviewed for accuracy.

Radiology Economics Forecast: Is It Doom and Gloom? Aug 12, 2026

Curious about the future of radiology economics? Richard E. Heller III, MD, MBA speaks with co-hosts Sherry S. Wang, MBBS, and Surbhi Raichandani, MD, to discuss radiology economics, from the basics to the niche and what is up ahead. Listen to their discussion in episode 2 of Difficult Conversations, an AJR Podcast Series.

Full article: https://www.ajronline.org/doi/10.2214/AJR.26.35690

*Key Takeaways

The Efficiency Fallacy: CMS recently implemented a 2.5% efficiency reduction to work relative value units, assuming that technology makes reading scans faster. However, modern multiplanar CTs contain thousands of images which can slow down down interpretation times.

The No Surprises Act and Ghost Rates: While designed to protect patients from unexpected out-of-network bills, poor implementation allows insurers to use "ghost rates," which are contracted rates for never-billed services, to artificially lower the Qualifying Payment Amount and force rate reductions on practices.

Advocacy is Essential: Radiologists serve as the nexus of the hospital. If the specialty does not demonstrate its downstream value, such as avoiding unnecessary surgeries and shortening hospital stays, business-minded policymakers will continue to treat it as a high-cost expense center to be cut.

*Chapters

0:00 - Welcome

1:12 - Future Outlook For Radiology

2:27 - How Radiologists Generate Revenue

3:09 - RVUs Conversion Factor Basics

4:30 - MIPS And Payment Adjustments

5:59 - Revenue Versus Paycheck

7:22 - Medicare Fee Schedule Trends

8:53 - Efficiency Adjustment Debate

12:50 - How CMS Sets The Rules

14:24 - Comment Letters And Advocacy

17:16 - Medicare As System Benchmark

19:09 - Commercial Insurer Headaches

21:21 - Steerage And Pediatric Risks

22:57 - No Surprises Act Explained

27:59 - Arbitration And Implementation Issues

29:10 - Radiology as Nexus

30:16 - Proving Downstream Value

31:34 - Total Value Equation

33:44 - RVUs and Complexity

36:53 - Fixing Incentives

46:04 - AI as Capacity Booster

49:01 - Will AI Cut Pay

50:12 - Teleradiology Done Right

54:30 - Radiology in 10 Years

57:53 - Optimism and Call to Action

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*These sections were generated using artificial intelligence (Descript and Google Gemini) and then reviewed for accuracy.

Medicare Advantage and Imaging Costs: What Radiologists Should Know Aug 10, 2026

Patient out-of-pocket costs can have implications for care access. Jabre Millon, MD, discusses the AJR article by Billig et al. comparing patient cost-sharing for advanced diagnostic imaging in Medicare Advantage plans between 2018 and 2026.

Full article: Patient Cost-Sharing for Advanced Diagnostic Imaging in Medicare Advantage Plans

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Full article: Screening for Fibrosis in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: Evidence, Challenges, and the Role of Imaging—From the AJR Special Series on Screening

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Screening for Fibrosis in MASLD Aug 06, 2026

What is the current role of imaging in screening for fibrosis in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)? Gastrointestinal Imaging Senior Editor Federica Vernuccio, MD, PhD, speaks with Claude Sirlin, MD, about his team's review on evidence-based screening strategies, quantitative imaging techniques, and emerging developments shaping the future of fibrosis assessment in MASLD.

Key Takeaways

Patients with MASLD are at increased risk for cardiometabolic conditions: For most patients with MASLD, these conditions will have the most important impact on their health and well-being.
Patients with MASLD face severe complications: These patients need to be identified through screening for referral and individualized treatment.
Radiologists should understand their role is growing: As MASLD becomes more prevalent, radiologists will play an increasingly important role in interpretation, characterization, and management of this disease.

*Chapters 00:00 - Welcome

00:46 - Why Fibrosis Matters

04:48 - Who to Screen

06:37 - Two Step Screening

09:07 - Choosing Imaging Tools

16:12 - Reporting and Cutoffs

19:18 - Future Innovations Ahead

22:35 - Key Takeaways

24:54 - Closing Thanks

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*This section was generated using artificial intelligence (Descript) and then reviewed for accuracy.

To Fellow or Not to Fellow? Aug 05, 2026

Completing a fellowship was once not a question in radiology, but today's market has changed the hiring landscape. Bruce Distell, MD, a radiology department chair, speaks with cohosts Elizabeth Hecht, MD, and Winnie Hahn, MD, about why we do fellowships and if we need them today given market demands and looming future of artificial intelligence. Listen to their discussion in episode 2 of Mentorship Unfiltered, an AJR Podcast Series.

https://www.ajronline.org/doi/10.2214/AJR.26.35664

*Key Takeaways

The Value of Fellowship: An extra year of training provides protected time to develop deep clinical expertise and signals a commitment to continuous education, which remains highly attractive to large practices.

AI and the Future of Radiology: Despite trainee fears of artificial intelligence eliminating jobs, human oversight will remain essential. Highly specialized expertise secures the radiologist's role as the indispensable pilot of patient care.

Lifelong Learning vs. Formal Training: Dedicated fellowship training demonstrates a commitment to clinical expertise, empowering radiologists to lead rather than be replaced in an AI-driven field. However, straight-to-practice routes can also succeed through dedicated, lifelong education.

*Chapters

0:00 - Introduction

0:52 - The Existential Choice

1:52 - Pros and cons breakdown

3:20 - Hosts share their paths

4:49 - Meet Bruce Distell

11:04 - Endorsing Fellowships

12:29 - Inside a Modern Practice

16:28 - Training Beyond Fellowship

18:51 - AI and Future Expertise

21:46 - Speed vs Accuracy Debate

25:30 - Hiring What Matters Most

29:51 - Marketability and Mobility

36:38 - Private Equity Pressures

44:00 - Is Fellowship Worth It

47:51 - Advice for Those Considering Fellowship

49:37 - Final Takeaways

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*These sections were generated using artificial intelligence (Descript and Google Gemini) and then reviewed for accuracy.

Feeding Artery Sign on Prostate MRI: Tipping the Scales Towards Biopsy Jul 27, 2026

Have you observed an asymmetric feeding artery on prostate MRI? Alan Gao, MD, discusses the study by Zeynep et al. exploring the finding's potential role in detecting clinically significant cancer.

Full article: Prostate Feeding Artery on MRI: Association With Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer

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BI-RADS v2025: Updates and Implications Jul 23, 2026

What is new in BI-RADS v2025? Breast Imaging Senior Editor Wei Yang, MD, speaks with Paola Minichetti, MD, and Lorenzo Cereser, MD, regarding their team's article that provides a review of the new version, highlighting key implications for daily breast imaging practice.

*Key Moments

00:00 - Welcome and Introductions

01:08 - BI-RADS 2025 Evolution

02:56 - Harmonization and Context

06:06 - BI-RADS in the AI Era

08:23 - AI Examples and Data Quality

11:20 - Department Adoption Strategy

14:30 - What's Missing Next

15:20 - Future Risk Stratification

17:17 - Management and Interventions

20:22 - Final Takeaways and Thanks

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*The Key Moments section was generated using artificial intelligence (Google Gemini) and then reviewed for accuracy.

How to Choose a Research Question That Survives Reality Jul 22, 2026

A good research idea is not always a good research question. Bruno Hochhegger, MD, PhD, speaks with host Amit Gupta, MD, about choosing research questions that are clinically relevant, feasible, and worth pursuing in real-world settings. Listen to their discussion in episode 1 of The Early Career Researcher's Playbook, an AJR Podcast Series.

Full article: https://www.ajronline.org/doi/10.2214/AJR.26.35586

*Key Takeaways

Defining Clinical Relevance: A strong research question must answer a direct patient management issue, such as determining if a nodule is benign or malignant.
The Feasibility and Sustainability Matrix: Moving from simple case reports to professional science requires navigating EMRs, securing IRB authorizations, and finding reliable grant funding.
The AI Implementation Trap: While building artificial intelligence models on GitHub has become more accessible, adequately validating these tools for real-world clinical practice remains a massive, frequently underestimated hurdle.
Multidisciplinary Research Networks: True feasibility requires nonmedical input; successful projects demand early feedback from IT departments, technologists, and referring surgeons to ensure workflows survive reality.

*Key Moments

00:00 Intro and Welcome

01:18 The Importance of Small Steps: Lessons from a Failed MRI Lung Cancer Screening Trial.

04:30 Defining Clinical Relevance and the Crucial Role of the Physician-Researcher.

07:47 Assessing Feasibility: Navigating EMRs, IRB Approvals, and Data Access.

08:45 Research Sustainability: Securing Grants and Transitioning from Voluntary to Professional Science.

10:50 The AI Feasibility Trap: Why Validating Models is Harder Than Coding on GitHub.

16:08 Identifying the Key Indication: Solving Direct Patient Management Questions.

21:51 Beyond Mentorship: Building a Network Across IT, Technologists, and Referring Clinicians.

28:51 Establishing Niche Expertise: Strategic Advice for Radiology Residents and Fellows

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