A radiology cost simulation study claims that health plans could save millions by using subspecialty radiologists rather than general radiologists for reading images.
Using general radiologists can lead to inaccurate interpretations and diagnostic errors that can add up to significant expenses down the road, according to the study, which was conducted by Premerus of Franklin, TN. The study estimated that health plans and payors could save approximately $4.45 per member per month, or $53 million for a health plan with 1 million members.
The data was presented in a poster session of the Diagnostic Error in Medicine conference held in Phoenix. The conference was jointly sponsored by the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Premerus is a diagnostic management company that recently launched www.yourmisdiagnosis.com, a Web site for patients to post their experiences with diagnostic misdiagnoses.
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