by
John R. Fischer, Senior Reporter | November 22, 2021
From the November 2021 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Rao says better utilization of imaging and managing rising exam volumes starts with discussions about optimization and unifying best practices. “We want to maintain quality by standardizing our protocols across the enterprise. We want to improve access, improve quality and lower cost. That’s what’s going to help us succeed in the value-based system.”
Another way of helping in this endeavor is to train future radiologists for tomorrow’s care continuum. “In order for radiology to transition to value-based care, we need to train medical residents differently,” said Filippi. “There needs to be more attention given to the cost of certain exams, the appropriateness of certain exams to make a diagnosis and to look at the comparative effectiveness and cost effectiveness of imaging strategies.”
He also says that finding ways to deal with the rising volume of imaging exams and the daily tasks faced by radiologists may help, in the long-term, bring more people into the profession and reduce the number looking to retire early. “There hasn’t been a recognition of how much more difficult the work environment is for radiologists. I think that this has contributed to a kind of burnout which is talked about a great deal both in the private sector and on the academic side.”
For addressing financial woes and impacts on reimbursement, Coffta says it will take a team approach and discussing what each person can do to help and how radiology as a profession can update its reporting and scheduling to make it easier to care for patients and get paid for the services it is providing under a value-based system.
She adds that it is essential for radiologists to stay up-to-date with any developments within their hospital or health system. "The most important thing is keeping in communication with your healthcare system because largely they are driving the bus on bundled and value-based care. Whatever arrangement they get into with Medicare and other payers will affect how radiologists are compensated. If you're not at the table, you may get left out or get the smallest piece of the pie."
Still says that preventing further cuts and combatting impending ones requires educating the healthcare industry about the important contribution that radiologists make to the care of patients. “On a grassroots model, we need radiologists, individually and collectively, practice administrators, CEOs, to be able to tell the story about radiology and how it’s brought so much value and saved money over the years through the use of the Appropriate Use Criteria.”
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