Researchers: Offshoring of radiology a myth
Although there has been much talk and worry over an expected exodus of radiologist positions in America due to outsourcing to India, according to an evaluation by three Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers no such trend exists – at least not yet, New York Times columnist David Leonhardt reports.
Frank Levy, an economist at M.I.T., joined two of his colleagues to uncover just how many radiology groups in India are reviewing image studies from the United States. In the end, the researchers could find only one group that is doing such work, and the company employs only three radiologists. Levy guessed that the county might hold 20 or so radiologists that were doing such work.
It turns out that, at least so far, though radiology has a lot in common with industries that are losing jobs to outsourcing, radiologists are different in the sense that they have the influence to put up “trade barriers” that significantly slow this type of trend.
Frank Levy, an economist at M.I.T., joined two of his colleagues to uncover just how many radiology groups in India are reviewing image studies from the United States. In the end, the researchers could find only one group that is doing such work, and the company employs only three radiologists. Levy guessed that the county might hold 20 or so radiologists that were doing such work.
It turns out that, at least so far, though radiology has a lot in common with industries that are losing jobs to outsourcing, radiologists are different in the sense that they have the influence to put up “trade barriers” that significantly slow this type of trend.