Imaging interpretation turnaround times for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries increased 113% from 2014 to 2023, with the sharpest gains occurring in the past two years.
According to the study, published March 30 in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, researchers analyzed 2,578,953 imaging studies and found average turnaround time rose from 0.091 days (about 2.2 hours) in 2014 to 0.193 days (about 4.6 hours) in 2023.
The increase was most pronounced for advanced imaging, with turnaround times rising 318% for CT scans and 256% for MRI, compared to 140% for ultrasound and 63% for radiology or fluoroscopy.
Overall average turnaround time across the study period was 0.109 days (just over 2 hours).
Researchers said the trend suggests the radiology workforce may be reaching capacity, with longer delays also observed in lower-income and more disadvantaged communities.
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