Network Radiology as a New Paradigm in Radiology Practice: Recent Insights From Integrated Health Systems in the United States

Healthcare delivery is undergoing fundamental transformation in the United States as independent hospitals and fragmented practices consolidate into integrated healthcare systems [1].Driven by value-based care initiatives, regulatory pressures, and digital innovation, this shift has particularly impacted radiology, a specialty positioned at the intersection of technology, subspecialty expertise, and network-wide service delivery [2].From 2014 to 2023, radiologists grew by 17.3% while independent practices fell 14.7%, reflecting consolidation into large organizations [3].This trend has created new challenges for radiology, including ensuring subspecialty access across diverse sites, managing financial pressures associated with duplicative equipment, and coordinating increasingly complex workflows.