Why patients are waiting anxiously as medical imaging results take weeks to come back

From rolled ankles and autoimmune disease flare-ups to suspected brain tumors and elevated markers for cancer, medical imaging helps find answers about people's health. But the wait for those answers keeps getting longer, leaving some people fraught with anxiety. 

KDKA Investigates reached out to Pittsburgh-area hospital systems and learned they're all pointing to a nationwide shortage of radiologists.  

Dr. Jerome Scherer recently turned into a frustrated patient after he had to wait five weeks to get radiology results. 

"I was concerned about progression of the disease I have, Crohn's disease," Scherer said. "It has to do with your intestines. I was worried I was having a flare and that would mean I would need treatment right away."

In that time, his flare-up tore a hole in his bowel. 

"By that time, you end up in the hospital with an exacerbation when that could have been avoided if the interpretation came in earlier," he said. 

Scherer said more people are interested in their health these days and deserve to know what's going on. 

But for some people, after waiting several weeks to land an imaging appointment, they're told it'll take at least four, sometimes six weeks, for a radiologist to read and report the findings back to them.

"I had a patient that was in his 60s and had an elevated PSA level, which is a prostatic-specific antigen," he said. "It's a test that we use to screen for prostate cancer. If it's elevated, it indicates that you might have prostate cancer." 

He said he sent the patient for an MRI, but it took a month to get it scheduled. After that, it was at least five weeks before they got the report. 

"Of course, the patient sits at home and worries, 'Do I have this or don't I? Is this delay going to cause any further progression of my disease, and should it have been treated sooner?'" he said.  

Scherer calls the wait time unacceptable.

"I have experience with all three systems," he said. "I've had X-rays at all three systems: Independence, AHN and UPMC. All identical experiences, so it's not one system over the other. It's all the systems." 

Allegheny Health Network calls the delays "temporary," saying it's working to hire more radiologists and incorporate more advanced tech and AI. AHN describes the current demand for advanced imaging as unprecedented, increasing 3% to 4% annually, adding it peaks in the summer months.

UPMC also pointed to the nationwide radiologist shortage, saying it prioritizes the urgent readings for patients in critical care, adding it's working aggressively to reduce wait times by partnering with external providers.

Unlike many specialties, imaging operates around the clock. Hospitals require 24/7 coverage. 

"Some of the emergency departments use Australian doctors to interpret their X-rays overnight so an American doctor doesn't have to stay up overnight to interpret the X-ray," Scherer said. 

AHN recently released an article saying that the hospital system is trying to cut down on unnecessary imaging, which will reduce the bottleneck and help get those necessary images read sooner.   

Scherer thinks patients need to hear more about the delay. 

"I would think they would come out and address this to the public," he said. "'We understand your concern.' This is healthcare and the worry these people go through."