Patient Care in IR

In 2014, the ABMS recognized interventional radiology as an independent medical specialty and the training paradigm for IR/DR was reimagined by the SIR and ABR. The impetus for this change was the “importance of nonprocedural patient care in IR, and therefore the need to provide this additional training.” This represented a significant milestone in the transformation of IR into a clinical specialty training program similar to other surgical subspecialties. The modern practice of IR requires expertise in the longitudinal management of disease states, inpatient admission and consultation, and management of periprocedural emergencies. Numerous high-level IR procedures are also being performed in an outpatient ambulatory center without the resources of a hospital system. Therefore, it is increasingly important for IR practitioner to develop a strong foundation in pathophysiology, pharmacology, and medical management of all patients they encounter.