Radiology Unlocked The Global Radiologist Report 2025

27 January 2025

In autumn of 2024, Everlight Radiology conducted a comprehensive online survey with 708 Consultant Radiologists located across 50 countries. The research was designed to provide a first-hand perspective on the state of radiology globally, and particularly in the four geographies in which Everlight operates: the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.

Radiologists were asked to share their primary areas of concern for the profession, as well as their views on potential solutions, including outsourcing to teleradiology companies and the private sector more broadly, and the introduction of AI. It is important to note that fewer than one third of the radiologists surveyed worked for Everlight, with 70% working elsewhere across public and private healthcare
globally.

There was broad agreement from radiologists that the radiology profession faces significant challenges. When asked to identify the most pressing challenges, over half (53%) identified radiologist burnout as their top concern, followed by workforce shortages (49%) and brain drain – the exodus of locally-trained clinicians (40%). The impact of overnight shifts also emerged as a key concern, with respondents highlighting the negative effect on radiologists’ health and well-being, and many expressing concerns over the detrimental impact of overnight working on reporting accuracy and patient safety.

Teleradiology was widely recognised for bringing numerous benefits for clinicians and their patients. The ability to outsource reporting to external radiologists was highlighted as a crucial support service for hard-pressed healthcare systems, with almost two thirds welcoming its ability to help clear backlogs (73%) and alleviate workload pressures (72%). Teleradiology careers were also broadly recognised as
offering several advantages over hospital based roles, including increased flexibility in work hours (84%) and location (58%) and the opportunity to report from overseas, while still supporting domestic hospitals and patients (48%).

Opinions were mixed on the role and relative value of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within radiology. While the majority of radiologists agree that AI shows promise, uptake and attitudes varied widely. Many radiologists are not yet regularly using AI (57% of respondents say they do not use it routinely in their roles), and it is largely seen as a valuable tool to support, not replace, human expertise.

When asked for their solutions to the challenges facing the profession, radiologists called for a larger workforce through greater investment in training the next generation of specialists, as well as better vetting of imaging requests and better communication with other teams around the role, proper application and potential of radiology reporting.

Read the full report here: 270125 Radiology Unlocked – The Global Radiologist Report 2025 – Everlight Radiology