South East Asian Society of Interventional Radiology (SEASIR): state and future of radiology in interventional radiology

The empires of the future are the empires of the mind.-Sir Winston Churchill Healthcare is widely viewed as an essential service and even a right of all members of society. Global dynamic changes within the past decade in the legislative, financial and technological areas have had a dramatic effect on the practice of radiology. Interventional radiology is no exception. The provision of basic healthcare with escalating costs of healthcare, aging populations, global financial crises, higher expectations of the citizens, imminent introduction of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) with its Roadmap for Integration of the healthcare sector [1], health tourism as well as the increased use of teleradiology are some of the numerous challenges facing radiological practice in the ASEAN region. Further, administrative changes within the healthcare sector are increasingly moving power to the administrators. Interventional radiology is a clinical discipline with a procedural foundation rooted in diagnostic imaging and almost entirely dependent on innovation. Like its diagnostic " sibling " , interventional radiology has a very strong clinical focus that demands a " patient-centred " focus. Interventional radiologists possess a special blend of knowledge based on diagnostic imaging fundamentals complemented by technical and clinical management expertise that, when applied skillfully and with care, can save and improve lives cost-effectively. The advent of more robust and user-friendly devices with decreased cost is making procedures available to a greater number of patients. Further, the emergence of techniques such MR guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS) will create a new breed of " computer game " image-guided interventionalists. Today the number of interventional radiology (IR) procedures continues to grow at a rapid pace with newer techniques based on rapid advances in technology. Unfortunately, there is a concomitant shortage of expertise which is also affecting the diagnostic radiology. This shortage is expected to worsen, with some estimating a 2% annual increase in the number of radiologists, compared with a 3.5% increase in the number of procedures. The compensation structures which favour diagnostic procedures over interventional procedures (along with the greater risks associated with performing interventional procuress) has drawn away young interventional radiologists into the diagnostic side. Interestingly, even though there is recognition of the importance on teaching diagnostic radiology to medical students, relatively little has been done to attract medical students to radiology, especially interventional radiology. Additionally the political influence of interventional radiologists is visibly lacking and it is imperative that interventional radiologists gain …