Healthcare Perspectives

In medical imaging, there is a constantly growing gap between the need for diagnostic imaging and the availability of specialist staff. At the same time, groundbreaking developments in the field of artificial intelligence continue to transform the face of the imaging field as we know it. In fact, AI is currently being used as an efficient and cost-reducing solution to a variety of industry challenges.Today, you’ll hear several panel conversations discussing generative AI in radiology, recorded live at the European Congress of Radiology. Held this year in Vienna, the ECR is one of the leading events in radiology as well as one of the world’s largest international meetings of radiology professionals, radiographers, physicists, and industry representatives.In this episode, host Fabian Schoeck, Head of Global Product Management for Artificial Intelligence Products at Siemens Healthineers, is joined by Dr. Johannes Haubold, Senior Physician for Clinical AI Integration at University Hospital Essen and Isabelle Ayx, a Senior Radiologist at University Medical Center Mannheim, all based in Germany. What You’ll Learn in This Episode:The potential and the limitations of generative AI in radiologyAI can be used to help with early detection Generative AI can transform clinical workflowsHow can AI can pave the way for more accurate and efficient diagnosticsArtificial intelligence can process massive amounts of data, allowing for huge advantages to researchWhat’s coming next in AI development for the radiology fieldConnect with Fabian SchoeckLinkedInConnect with Johannes HauboldLinkedInConnect with Isabelle AyxLinkedIn

Lung cancer has the highest mortality rate of all cancers. Globally, it is the deadliest cancer among men and women. One of the biggest contributing factors to lung cancer’s devastation is that it often goes undetected in its early stages. Because the lungs don’t have pain receptors and the chest cavity allows a relatively spacious growing environment for tumors, symptoms typically don’t manifest until the disease has progressed significantly. It’s for these reasons that screening higher-risk patients for lung cancer is so important, as early detection provides the best chance of survival from the disease.In this episode, Dr. Victoria Schneider, clinical oncology consultant at Siemens Healthineers, is joined by Dr. Richard Booton, clinical director for lung cancer and thoracic surgery at Wythenshawe Hospital and professor of respiratory medicine at the University of Manchester in the UK; Rimma Kondrashova, a radiology resident at Hannover Medical School in Germany; and doctors David Yankelevitz and Claudia Henschke, both radiologists and professors of radiology at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine in New York City.You’ll hear from these experts about the importance of early detection, the programs that have been recently rolled out to increase survival rates, and some of the exciting new advancements in the field.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:      •    Early detection is a key factor in the successful treatment of lung cancer       •    Government funded screening programs in the US and the UK have made significant headway in early-stage lung cancer diagnoses       •   In Germany, the HANSE Study was created to assess what a successful national lung cancer screening program might look like for the country      •    Mobile screening clinics have been implemented in order to move lung cancer screenings out of hospitals and into more readily accessible community spacesAI has had a major impact on several areas of lung cancer screenings, including improving the image resolution of scans and helping radiologists by minimizing the often-tedious work of reading imagesConnect with Victoria SchneiderLinkedInConnect with Richard BootonLinkedInConnect with David YankelevitzLinkedInConnect with Claudia HenschkeLinkedIn

The carbon footprint of healthcare has been estimated to be 4 to 5% of the worldwide total. To put this number into perspective, if “healthcare” was a country, it would be the fifth largest emitter in the world, coming in just behind China, the United States, India, and Russia. Today we face pressing global issues like climate change and an energy crisis, that impact our health and wellbeing. It becomes crucial then, that the healthcare industry not only takes responsibility for health, but also actively works towards reducing the impact of the environment on people’s health – especially by reducing emissions and consumption of resources.In this episode, Shikha Pillai, Global Head of Sustainability at Siemens Healthineers, is joined by Dr. Elmar Merkle, Head of the Department of Radiology and Chief Physician for Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland; as well as Dr. Christopher Hess, Chair of the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at the University of California San Francisco; and Dr. Clemens Juettner, Chief Sustainability Officer at Sana Kliniken in Munich. These experts in radiology and sustainability are talking about what the sector is doing to implement consumption-reducing measures that can lead to not only operational efficiency, but also contribute significantly to our sustainable future.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:      •     For hospitals around the globe, the perpetual “idling” state of imagining machines contributes to the huge carbon footprint of radiology departments.      •     On a global average, one hospital bed consumes the same amount of energy as four family homes annually.      •     Major strides have been made toward more energy efficient imaging machines, but the most pressing issue is encouraging their use by the medical community.      •     The production and delivery of imaging equipment can have massive environmental repercussions.       •     It’s not just carbon footprint that can be reduced by greener radiology practices: cost is also a crucial factor.Connect with Shikha Pillai·   LinkedInConnect with Clemens Juettner·   LinkedInConnect with Christopher Hess·   LinkedInConnect with Elmar Merkle·   LinkedIn

A vast number of cancer patients will undergo radiotherapy during their treatment process. Because of this, experts are searching for ways to treat patients as effectively as they can through radiotherapy while also reducing the treatment’s side effects as much as possible. One answer to this is adaptive radiotherapy. Recent advancements in AI and imaging technology have refined the process and made new solutions possible. These advancements have made it easier for healthcare professionals to adapt treatment to real-time images of the patient's anatomy. This helps to preserve the health of organs surrounding the targeted area and treat patients more effectively.Today, Sasa Mutic, Senior Vice President at Varian Medical Systems, a Siemens Healthineers company, is joined by Dr. Eric Horwitz, Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Temple University and Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia; Jennifer Pursley, Medical Physicist and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School; and Kirsten Offereins-van Harten, a senior radiotherapeutic technician at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands. They discuss how advancements in adaptive radiology technology have transformed the patient experience and the field as a whole—and where it may take us in the future.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Adaptive radiotherapy allows real time scans of a patient in order to better, more precisely treat tumors.Improvement of imaging technology advances the ability to contour organs, which is a major aid in avoiding collateral damage around the target.Adaptive radiotherapy has the potential to reduce the ill effects of typical radiological treatments by focusing on a more precise target, therefore allowing patients to maintain their quality of life.Adaptive radiotherapy greatly changes the way that providers work together to create a treatment path. Artificial intelligence can potentially expedite the process of adaptive radiotherapy by allowing for a more accurate picture of the contours around affected organs. Connect with Sasa MuticLinkedInConnect with Dr. Eric HorwitzLinkedInConnect with Jennifer Pursley, PhDLinkedInConnect with Kirsten Offereins-van HartenLinkedIn

The World Health Organization states that access to care is a human right. This means all world citizens should have access to quality health care and services, whenever and wherever they need it. To reach this goal, skilled employees are required at all levels of the healthcare system. For many low- and middle-income countries, this access is extremely difficult and training and development programs for workers within the field of radiology are often unavailable, only perpetuating the staffing shortage issue.Of particular concern is staff shortages in radiology and radiotherapy. In this episode, you’ll hear about potential solutions to this problem, including collaboration to facilitate, expand, and improve training coupled with innovations in health technologies.Today, Ven Virah, Global Contingent Staffing Expert, Workforce Solutions at Siemens Healthineers, is joined by Jeannette Parkes, a clinical director at Access to Care Cape Town and Head of the division of Clinical and Radiation Oncology at Groote Schuur Hospital and the University of Cape Town, as well as Barry Asin, President at Staffing Industry Analysts in Mountain View, California, and Dr. Katja Beitat, Head of Health Tech at Cicada Innovations and Director of Technology and Innovation at Radiology Across Borders in Sydney.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:That the COVID-19 pandemic, an aging society, resignations, and retirements all contribute to the healthcare staffing crisis (02:45)Collaboration is one of the keys to spreading knowledge and increasing the availability of care in underserved areas (06:02)In areas with few opportunities for healthcare, remote consultations have become invaluable (08:15)How programs allowing healthcare workers to upskill or learn entirely new practices have been aided by VR and AI (11:04)Sustainable education programs for medical professionals in low- and middle-income countries have become an important tool for improving care in those areas (13:39)Connect with Ven VirahLinkedInConnect with Jeanette ParkesLinkedInConnect with Barry Asin LinkedInConnect with Dr. Katja BeitatLinkedIn

By 2030, the World Health Organization predicts a global shortage of 15 million healthcare workers. As the number of individuals requiring medical care increases, staff shortages are becoming more of a problem. In diagnostic areas with complex indications, the lack of trained and knowledgeable staff can lead not only to errors but also to insufficient time for patient care. Radiology technologists must also be able to perform complex cases, and this requires separate training.To solve the global staffing shortage, there are two crucial keys: staff recruitment and staff retention — both of which medical schools, hospitals, and industry can play an important role in. Today, Ven Virah, Global Contingent Staffing Expert, Workforce Solutions at Siemens Healthineers, is joined by Dr. Elliot K. Fishman, Director of the Divisions of Diagnostic Imaging at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Professor of Radiology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland; Brad Genereaux, Global Lead of Medical Imaging at NVIDIA; and Elio Arruzza, a lecturer and research academic in medical radiation science at the University of South Australia who also works as a radiographer and medical imaging technologist for Jones Radiology in South Australia.What You’ll Learn in This Episode: • That today’s medical students demand a more interactive education (00:13) • How advances in virtual reality and augmented reality are creating better trained, more confident healthcare providers (02:41) • With a hands-on approach to education, how students can adapt more easily to in-person training at hospitals and clinics (05:19) • By using AR and VR simulation training, how healthcare professionals working with medical students can free crucial time while their students train (06:44) • That artificial intelligence has the potential to act as a research partner, a sounding board, and a failsafe for medical professionals (12:24)Connect with Ven VirahLinkedInConnect with Dr. Elliot FishmanLinkedInConnect with Elio Arruzza LinkedInConnect with Brad GenereauxLinkedIn

Top-class, professional soccer demands the highest performance from athletes’ bodies—both in training and in competition. As the years have progressed and skill and competition have augmented, physical demand from athletes has increased exponentially. In addition to an elite running game, professional footballers are also trained to achieve cannon-like kicks of up to 120 kilometers per hour and withstand headers stronger than the punch of a professional boxer. In this episode, Dr. Yvonne Braun, Director of Global Clinical Marketing Surgery at Siemens Healthineers, is joined by Dr. Jochen Hahne, an orthopedic specialist and team physician, Prof. Dr. Martin Mack, a specialist in diagnostic and interventional radiology and Prof. Dr. Peter Ueblacker, a team physician and specialist in orthopedics and chirotherapy, all of whom work with FC Bayern, the most successful soccer club in German history. You’ll hear from the doctors who work with FC Bayern about how advances in orthopedics and medical imaging technology allow them to keep players in the game given all of the continuous stresses they’re under. What You’ll Learn in This Episode:• How team doctors with FC Bayern manage injured players• The way the club’s medical team and its team doctors collaborate to keep players healthy • Why prevention is the most powerful key to a healthy team • The importance of time and patience in healing sports-related injuries • How radiology plays such a major role in FC Bayern’s medical protocol • The problems that can arise when under-trained, under-experienced radiologists are at the helmConnect with Prof. Dr. Martin Mack:• LinkedInConnect with Dr. Yvonne Braun:• LinkedInConnect with Dr. Jochen Hahne & Prof. Dr. Peter Ueblacker:• FC Bayern Website

One of the Covid pandemic's impact is an increase in resignations in healthcare. Combined with rising patient needs, hospitals are now understaffed and looking for new solutions. This is where remote technologies may help. In fact, some hospitals are already seeing success in implementing remote technologies to help in treatment and diagnostics without increasing staff in specific locations. Today Ven Virah, Global Contingent Staffing Expert, Workforce Solutions at Siemens Healthineers, is joined by Anton Quinsten, Chief Radiology Technologist, University Hospital Essen, Germany, Melissa Petrasko, Vice President of Imaging Services, Central Florida Division at AdventHealth, and Ben Archibald-Heeren, Medical Physicist at Icon Cancer Centre, Australia.They discuss how remote scanning impacts imaging in the medical industry. You’ll also learn how telehealth transforms patient care and the medical staff’s morale. Additionally, you’ll hear about AI's role in the medical industry and the impact it's expected to have in the near future.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why it’s hard to replace radiation therapists and oncologistsThe impact of remote scanningHow the Covid pandemic impacted the hospital staffThe barriers stopping medical staff from advancing their careersHow enabling radiologists to work remotely impacts patient careHow artificial intelligence impacts radiologists' workloadConnect with Anton Quinsten:LinkedInConnect with Melissa Petrasko:LinkedInConnect with Ben Archibald-Heeren:TwitterConnect with Ven Virah:LinkedIn