Dr. Eric Rohren
The Radiology Partners Research Institute (RPRI) is a research affiliation between Radiology Partners (RP) and leading academic medical institutions that develops, supports and advances clinical research and education.
As a division of RP’s Clinical Value Team, RPRI’s mission is to facilitate and support research advancing the specialty of radiology; focus on ways radiologists can use medical imaging to enhance value for patients, providers, hospitals and payors; and enable and accelerate the implementation of academic and research insights into clinical practice.
RPRI’s primary academic partner is Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and additional academic collaborators have included University of Chicago Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Duke University School of Medicine.
We spoke with Dr. Eric Rohren, associate chief medical officer for research and education and leader of RPRI, to learn more about RPRI’s priorities and their educational efforts that support both practicing radiologists and the next generation of care providers.
Research and publications
“One of RPRI’s priorities is to produce meaningful research to support radiology,” Dr. Rohren explained. Most recently, RPRI published “Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Vaccine Availability on Utilization of Breast Imaging in a Multistate Radiology Practice” in Radiology Research and Practice.” The study explores the effects of COVID-19 on mammography volumes across RP practices. Dr. Rohren summarized the study. “We observed the anticipated decline in the pandemic’s early phases, succeeded by a strong surge in volumes when services reopened,” he explained. A follow-up manuscript in progress examines the screening resumption rates among different insurance classes to identify potential disparities for future public responses.
A newly formed RPRI advisory board continues to advance the institute’s commitment to research. The team recently launched four diverse research projects ranging from CME usage, interventional procedure trends, lunch cancer screening and report labeling. Additionally, the team anticipates several new publications in 2024.
Advancing patient care
Another priority of RPRI is offering educational sessions on new and innovative treatments. “Most recently, RPRI hosted two presentations on clinical trial opportunities for IR devices. The first featured an absorbable IVC filter developed by a medical device company specializing in absorbable implants. The second shared liquid embolic material developed by a company dedicated to advancing interventional procedures through easy-to-use devices,” Dr. Rohren explained. Radiologists who are part of RP’s interventional radiology national subspecialty division attended, and both presentations are available on-demand for RP physician leaders.
Commitment to the future
Additionally, RPRI prioritizes the training of soon-to-be radiologists. The RPRI education advisory board comprises RP’s 11 residency program directors. This team diligently strategizes to support and enhance educational activities, including training, resource sharing (particularly for challenging areas such as pediatric radiology) and curricula related to AI and radiology business education. More than 200 residents are enrolled in RP’s affiliated radiology residency programs. Of the 11, nine are diagnostic radiology and two are interventional radiology. “We continue to expand our residency programs; our newest program launched in Texas last year,” Dr. Rohren said. “We are proud of the training and experience residents receive through our programs. In fact, many trainees choose to stay begin their careers at RP-affiliated practices.”
“With a dynamic team of physicians and support teammates, we’ve made significant strides in research, clinical trials and residency education,” Dr. Rohren said. “These accomplishments are a glimpse of what’s to come as we remain dedicated to our mission of transforming radiology.”
Radiology Partners, through its owned and affiliated practices, is a leading physician-led and physician-owned radiology practice in the U.S. Learn more about our mission, values and practice principles at RadPartners.com. For the latest news from RP, follow along on our blog and on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Interested in learning about career opportunities? Visit our careers page.
