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Despite the well-established benefits of interventional radiology (IR), more than half of the world's population lacks access to IR services and resources. Variable factors underlying this discrepancy have not been explored. This survey was designed to collect information regarding the state of IR practice and education in different geographic locations in order to identify factors that impact access to IR services at each region. After approval by the Society of Interventional Radiology, an anonymous survey was created using SurveyMonkey that gathered 1) demographics, 2) characteristics regarding regional IR practices, training and educational, and 3) challenges impacting local IR resource development. The survey was distributed via email to members of major global IR societies and shared on social media platforms including Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter). The survey remained open from June 2022 to September 2023. One thousand two hundred and fifty-four (1254) respondents completed the survey including 885 interventional radiologists, 167 diagnostic radiologists, and 64 non-radiologists. Geographically, 412 (33%) practiced in Asia, 395 (32%) in Europe, 188 (15%) Africa, 187 (15%) North America, 43 (3.5%) South America, and 14 (1.1%) Oceania. 67% of respondents reported structured or accredited IR training in their countries, 24% reported no IR training in their country, and 10% were unsure. 92% believed there was a need to establish unified global IR training standards. The most commonly performed IR procedures (in descending frequency) included biopsies, drainages, angiograms, and venous access. The most commonly reported practice needs included patient awareness/education (72%), patient referrals (65%), IR training (57%), and reimbursement (56%). Actions deemed most beneficial for local IR development included increasing public awareness (73%), multidisciplinary conferences (63%), establishing more IR training programs (62%), local IR conferences (51%), and access to online education (45%). Despite the wide variability in IR training and services between geographic regions, there was universal recognition in the importance of increasing patient awareness, establishing global IR training standards, and the need to improve regional access to high-quality IR education and training. The results of this survey can help guide organizational and societal efforts in improving access to IR services worldwide.
Guan et al. (Wed,) studied this question.