Dear Orthopedic Imaging Insider,
The growth of in-office MRI at orthopedic practices is having an interesting effect on radiologists who specialize in musculoskeletal imaging. Rather than lose business to orthopedic physicians, many are finding rising demand for their services as orthopedic surgeons turn to radiologists for expert opinions.
That's the conclusion of this month's Insider Exclusive article, which profiles the changes being wrought by the recent wave of in-office MRI installations at orthopedic practices.
The growing complexity of musculoskeletal MRI is leading many orthopedic physicians to conclude that radiologists are needed to interpret the images properly. And they are often finding these MSK-specialized radiologists through teleradiology services, which enable radiologists to hone their skills by aggregating cases from a wider referral base than was possible before the advent of digital image distribution.
But the trend toward in-office MRI does have some potentially troubling ramifications, both in terms of patient safety and technology utilization. Read all about the advantages and disadvantages by clicking here.
Other recent stories in the Orthopedic Imaging Digital Community include an article on a new Medicare policy that allows radiologists to receive reimbursement for chiropractic-related imaging, and a piece on the advantages of multislice CT versus MRI for assessing articular cartilage lesions in patients with hip dysplasia.
