Health care providers from multiple specialties are focused on reducing clinical waste by cutting excessive expenses associated with repeated scans and poor treatment decisions. As a result, the medical imaging industry is undergoing shifts that will lead to dramatic changes in the way radiologists conduct their services.
Moving from private offices to hospital departments
Earlier this month, the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America was held in Chicago, bringing together leading physicians from around the world to discuss hot button issues in radiology. For example, researchers from Thomas Jefferson University examined the transition of advanced imaging procedures from private practices to outpatient departments, AuntMinnie.com reported.
Bhavik Patel, M.D., and colleagues reviewed data from the Medicare Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary Master Files collected between 2000 and 2012. They focused their attention on CPT codes for MR, echocardiography, nuclear medicine and CT scans, and measured procedure use rates per 1,000 Medicare beneficiaries for each time period.
They found that utilization rates in private offices grew from 415 in 2000 to a peak of 874 in 2009, representing a 111 percent growth in use. However, there was a marked 42 percent decrease in 2011 that continued across all modalities. Patel and his team noticed similar trends in hospital usage, but in 2012, things began to shift.
Changing location might affect patient care, spending
The shift from private offices to outpatient departments is actually detrimental to cost reduction efforts, as it forces payors to pay more to hospitals for advanced imaging. As a result, patients will be held responsible for higher premiums.
In addition, it could lead to the closure of radiology offices, which reduces patients' access to services. However, newer practices with more efficient equipment and better trained staff could open.
While the physical site for scans may be changing, the technology used by radiologists continues to evolve for the better.
Imaging moves to new phase of efficiency
Innovative products can be a double-edged sword for health care providers, as there are so many options to choose from. With a market seemingly oversaturated with RIS and PACS systems, the values of VNAs and health information exchanges have increased.
According to HealthcareITNews, these relatively new platforms represent a novel approach to storing, managing and sharing clinical images. As the amount of data in the market grows, more physicians will need these diagnostic imaging tools to enhance medical services. Because of this, VNAs could potentially eat into the PACS market as radiologists find ways to trim costs by consolidating DICOM and non-DICOM images into one place. This is further evidenced by the growth of cloud-based image management for practices that boast larger storage space and easier access for multiple users.
With products promising to integrate with electronic health records and other software to meet the goal of cutting excessive expenses, the medical imaging industry is poised to experience massive changes in the coming years.
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Ronny Bachrach
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