CDC considers allowing nonphysicians to read complex chest x-rays: What could go wrong?

Medical Economics March 7, 2025
Rebekah Bernard, MD

The CDC requests public comment on the possibility of allowing NPPs to read chest x-rays of workers at risk for pneumoconiosis.

On December 17, 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) opened a request for public comment on the possibility of allowing nonphysician practitioners (NPPs) — nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) — to read chest x-rays of workers at risk for pneumoconiosis, a lung condition caused by inhaling mineral dust including coal, silica and asbestos. Currently, workers at risk for this life-threatening condition undergo an annual screening chest x-ray, which is administered by the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Radiologists who interpret these x-rays receive special training and certification for the...

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