The American College of Radiology (ACR) is directing attention to a new report by its Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute that shows an increase in the average length of hospital stay in the U.S., while medical imaging utilization has dropped.
Even though it's unclear if the trends are related, ACR said, the results are potentially important as hospital admissions are among the largest and fastest growing healthcare costs. More research is needed to assess the potential negative impact of government and private insurer imaging reductions on overall medical costs and patient safety, according to the organization.
The report is the first policy brief produced by the Neiman Institute, which was launched by the ACR in August. The institute is tasked with conducting and supporting research regarding medical imaging use, quality and safety metrics, and human resources as medicine moves toward nontraditional, value-based payment and delivery, ACR said. The college believes that the data produced from these efforts will serve as the basis for evidence-based medical imaging policy.
