The impact of new imaging technology on worldwide health care, research, and teaching: fifth international symposium, August 1992.

At the end of the final session, one of the co-chairs, Ronald L. Arenson (University of California, San Francisco) summarized the main points made at the conference. He mentioned that the talks had shown both the differences and similarities among the world's nations and that computers have become vital tools for radiologic practice and research. Dr. Arenson discussed four major themes that the symposium had brought into focus: the importance of cost-effectiveness analyses; the need to provide radiologic equipment to developing countries; the significance of worldwide training programs in radiology; and the search for continuing support for research. The government, industry, and academia all have great interest in cost-effectiveness. Radiologists in the future will be required even more than in the past to justify expenditures on equipment and to explain the benefits of sophisticated examinations. As leaders in radiology, the participants were encouraged to take the "offensive" in showing how new, admitt...