RSNA 2026: At the Center of Care

Jeffrey S. Klein, MD, is the RSNA president. He is a consultant to the Department of Radiology for the VA White River Junction Healthcare System in Vermont. A renowned expert in lung cancer staging and detection, Dr. Klein served as editor of RadioGraphics from 2012–2020 and as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Thoracic Imaging from 2000 to 2005. Dr. Klein was part of an expert panel convened by the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act of 1990, a group that developed a protocol for high-resolution CT examinations of Navajo uranium miners. Esteemed for his dedication to radiology education, Dr. Klein has received teaching awards from the UCSF Medical Center, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, AZ, the University of Vermont College of Medicine and SUNY Downstate Medical Center.

While advances in the technology and application of diagnostic imaging have had a positive impact on the quality and value of radiology, the practice of radiology has changed, with an increasing sense of isolation and burnout among radiologists worldwide.¹ In an effort to help radiologists and imaging scientists refocus on the collective, central role we play in health care, this year’s RSNA 2026 meeting is dedicated to revisiting the many ways that radiology and imaging scientists contribute positively to the well-being of our communities.

Radiology touches on many aspects of population health and patient care, from screening for disease in at-risk groups, the detection and characterization of disease, the pretreatment planning for surgery or therapy, to assess the response to and detect complications of treatment, and to streamline patient management.²

While mammographic screening allows for the early detection of breast cancer, large, randomized trials of low-dose CT screening of high-risk groups have shown reductions in lung cancer mortality and led to the development of lung cancer screening programs worldwide. Opportunistic image-based screening, which leverages incidental imaging findings primarily on CT with AI-assisted quantification of body tissues composition adds value beyond the clinical utility of the examination.³

There is perhaps no better example of the important contributions that radiologists make to patient care than our participation in tumor conferences and multidisciplinary clinics.⁴ These conferences and clinics provide a com[1]prehensive treatment plan for patients and offer an opportunity for multiple specialists, including radiologists and radiation oncologists, to coordinate patient management in a personalized manner and have become the standard of care in most medical centers.

Radiologists and imaging scientists have always embraced new technology and worked to innovate on the imaging approach to disease, often working in interdisciplinary research teams and with industry to provide incremental improvements in the delivery of care.

Radiology is a leader in the implementation of AI in medicine. Our RSNA journals are at the forefront of disseminating advances in the field and remain a trusted resource in our discipline. The RSNA annual meeting remains the preeminent opportunity for the imaging industry to showcase cutting-edge technology and engage with professionals to advance the field.

Just as important as advancing the science and technology of radiology is our commitment to educating our trainees and practicing radiologists. As with our focus on science and innovation, the society’s education resources, including courses at our annual meeting, the RSNA EdCentral education portal, international Spotlight Courses, online sessions and our flagship education journal RadioGraphics, offer a myriad of educational opportunities to optimize the practice of radiology.

As we enter the new year, I look forward to helping our specialty refocus on its central role in patient care while planning for RSNA 2026. We’ll revisit the ways in which radiology positively impacts medicine and look to strengthen our collective role in providing high quality, timely and cost-effective care to our patients.

Citations:

1. Ashraf N, Tahir MJ, Saeed A, et al. Incidence and factors associated with burnout in radiologists: A systematic review. Eur J Radiol Open. 2023 Oct 23;11:100530. doi: 10.1016/j.ejro.2023.100530.

2. Ballard DH, Burton KR, Lakomkin N, et al. The Role of Imaging in Health Screening: Screening for Specific Conditions. Acad Radiol 2021;28(4):548–563.

3. Pickhardt PJ, Summers RM, Garrett JW, et al. Opportunistic Screening Radiology Scientific Expert Panel. Radiology 2023; 307(5). https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.222044.

4. Stratchko LM, Rossebo AE, Kisting MA, et al. Unreimbursed Costs of Multidisciplinary Conferences to a Radiology Department: A Prospective Analysis at an Academic Medical Center. J Am Coll Radiol. 2024 Apr;21(4):668-675.