Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Physicians have a bit more breathing room before they have to start using clinical decision-support (CDS) software to order advanced imaging exams for Medicare patients.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is pushing back its plan to require all orders for advanced imaging to be placed with CDS software by January 2017. CMS included the change in its final rule for the 2016 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
CMS has been hoping that CDS based on appropriate use criteria will prove to be a more precise tool for reducing inappropriate utilization of advanced imaging. But the agency may have set a more aggressive implementation timeline than was practical, given the challenges involved.
Industry experts are guessing that the move will delay the rollout of CDS by 12 to 18 months, shifting it to the beginning or middle of 2018. But in the end it could result in a finished product that's more ready for prime time, rather than something rushed to market.
Learn more by clicking here, or visit our Imaging Informatics Community at informatics.auntminnie.com.
MRI for labral tears
In other news, visit our MRI Community for a new article on an MRI protocol developed by Florida researchers that can help determine which patients with labral tears would benefit from surgery.
The researchers used noncontrast MRI and MR arthrography to assess the displacement of tears. MR arthrography is key because it can be hard to assess the condition of a labral tear based solely on static images.
The group found that tear displacement of a certain size on the MRI scans meant that patients should proceed to surgery. Get the details by clicking here, or visit the community at mri.auntminnie.com.
Healing sonographer back pain
Are you a sonographer who's dealing with back pain that could be related to your job? If so, visit our Ultrasound Community for a new article from Doug Wuebben and Mark Roozen on how to address the issue. Click here to learn more, or go to ultrasound.auntminnie.com.
