What if Empowering Patients Increases Imaging Use?
Health policy experts understand that reducing waste and overutilization of health care is critical in making our health care system sustainable. They also understand that to do this ethically, patients must be part of the process.
Informed patients who can work together with their doctors to make smart decisions about their care and avoid costly tests and procedures that will not help them get better is the goal behind efforts like Choosing Wisely. However, as patients are empowered with more information about their health and the medical options open to them, assuming that they will always opt
ACHE Trendwatch: Hot Spotting
As a patient who desperately wants health care costs to come down, I can’t deny the appeal of the hot-spotting approach: targeting the most expensive patients, usually those with chronic disease, and intensively managing their conditions to lower their health care utilization. I share a risk pool with these people, and I’m tired of them driving up my costs to the point that I pay more money for two months of health insurance than is spent on my health care in a year. They need help – I say let’s give it to ‘em.
So
Thursday Bits and Bytes: Safety in Medical Imaging
Today at RSNA, an expert panel met to discuss topics ranging from medical imaging appropriateness to radiation exposure from imaging to efforts toward curbing utilization. Panelists, who hailed from institutions all over the country, tackled the difficult task of clearing up public misconceptions about health risks from medical radiation. They aimed to spread public awareness of radiology’s role in ensuring patient safety – and of the role overutilization and self-referral can play in exposing patients to unnecessary radiation. “Imaging procedures conducted for the wrong reasons contribute to unnecessary costs and radiation exposure to patients,” said panel member William R.
