Impending Medicare guidelines requiring physicians to consult with appropriate use criteria and clinical decision-support tools when ordering diagnostic imaging services will improve patient outcomes and help manage healthcare costs, according to a panel convened by the Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC).
The panel of physicians said evidence-based clinical decision-support technologies such as the American College of Radiology's (ACR) platform are putting into practice the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) policy utilizing appropriate use criteria to reduce inappropriate imaging.
This is an alternative to additional reimbursement cuts or any prior authorization scheme that would only restrict access to critical advanced medical imaging services, AMIC said. It further advised that Congress should incentivize widespread adoption of appropriate use criteria to improve physician decision-making so that patients receive the right scan at the right time.
A panel member said it is critical that clinical decision-support tools be developed and incorporated into electronic health records in an efficient and effective manner.
The panel discussion was held at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center and included Dr. Keith Dreyer, vice chairman, radiology, informatics, Massachusetts General Hospital; Dr. Michael Foster, cardiologist, South Carolina Heart Center; Dr. Jeffrey Weilburg, associate medical director, Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, Massachusetts General Hospital; and Dr. Geraldine McGinty, chair, Commission on Economics, American College of Radiology.
