Radiology Resiliency Now and in the Future
The CAR assembled a Radiology Resilience Task Force of radiology leaders to address the impact that the pandemic has had on radiology. The aim was to develop a series of recommendations to tackle the issue of lengthy wait times for medical imaging in Canada and to build a comprehensive plan for resiliency in radiology now and in the future. The Task Force, led by Dr. Heidi Schmidt, published a report, which was widely distributed among various stakeholder groups. The intent of this report is to serve as a guide for the radiology community to provide better care for patients across the country.
On October 5, 2020 the CAR published the Radiology Resilience Now and Beyond Report. This document will serve as a resource for radiologists, health authorities and government in delivering efficient access to medical imaging procedures now and in the future.
CAR's Radiology Resilience Now and Beyond Report, October 5, 2020
The report has been enthusiastically received by radiologists and the public. To complement the report, the CAR developed a series of videos in English and in French that address our national priorities featuring Drs. Heidi Schmidt, Ania Kielar and Gilles Soulez.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Medical Imaging in Canada,
Dr. Heidi Schmidt (October 2020)
Recommendations for Addressing Medical Imaging Needs for Canadian Patients During COVID19,
Dr. Heidi Schmidt (October 2020)
How will Canada deal with the backlog for medical imaging procedures, resulting from the pandemic?,
Dr. Ania Kielar (October 2020)
Message pour les patients canadiens - venez à votre examen d'imagerie médicale,
Dr. Gilles Soulez (October 5, 2020)
L'impact de COVID-19 sur l'imagerie médicale au Canada, Dr. Gilles Soulez (October 5, 2020)
Recommandations pour faire face à la crise croissante de l'imagerie médicale en Canada, Dr. Gilles Soulez (October 5, 2020)
Les temps d'attente en radiologie depuis COVID-19,
Dr. Gilles Soulez (October 5, 2020)
Media Coverage:
- CBC Radio One – lead morning news story featuring Dr. Heidi Schmidt, CAR Board Member and Chair of the Task Force, October 5
- Article in La Press – featuring Dr. Gilles Soulez, CAR Vice-President and member of the Task Force, October 5
- Radio interview on 98.5 FM with Paul Arcand - featuring Dr. Gilles Soulez, October 5
- Canadian Healthcare Technology – featuring Dr. Heidi Schmidt, October 15
Our Ask
We have built a strong case for an investment of $1.5 Billion + (over 5 years) in medical imaging. Over the years the CAR has worked hard to educate the government and key opinion leaders on the role of radiologists.
This was achieved through initiatives such as:
- Caring for Canadians in the wake of the pandemic: Restoring timely access for medical imaging for patients
- Pre-Budget Submissions with established priorities
- Value of Radiology Reports I and II, published by the Conference Board of Canada
- Radiology Resumption of Clinical Services and Radiology Resilience Reports
- Building relationships with Health Canada and CADTH to obtain support for this report
- Invitations to present to the Finance Committee, Privacy Committee and Standing Committee on Health
- The 2019 election pledge for $1.5 billion in medical imaging
The Radiology Resilience Now and Beyond Report is one of the many initiatives that the CAR, working with our healthcare partners, has undertaken during the pandemic to provide radiologists with guidance and to advocate for federal investment in medical imaging equipment, infrastructure, and health human resources.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected].