Literature Review: Slowdown of Medical Imaging

Literature Review:

Slowdown of Medical Imaging

Abstract

A review of articles relating to the slowdown of medical imaging was completed. Imaging slowdown is an important issue to many radiology departments. A slowdown leads to budget cuts as well as a loss of revenue for the radiology department in a hospital setting. The main aspects literature points to as being factors in the slowdown of medical imaging are; changes in Medicare/ private insurance reimbursement, changes in Medicare policy, increase in radiation exposure awareness and the increase of efficiency of electronic medical records (EMR). Based on the literature reviewed the imaging slowdown may have reached its’ lowest levels. The concern now will be maintaining the patient volumes in radiology in order to balance cost, profitability and radiation safety.

Keywords: Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Deficit Reduction Act 2005, Pre-Authorization, Medicare Part B, Clinical Decision Support, Medical imaging slowdown, Radiation doses, Radiology slowdown, Radiology Utilization, Medicare imaging Reform

Slowdown of Medical Imaging

The slowdown of medical imaging within radiology affects numerous departments within the hospital. A radiology department performs numerous exams a day and each exam brings in patients to a facility as well as the accompanying insurance dollars. The least expensive procedure, a mammogram, brings only forty dollars, while the most expensive modality, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) can routinely cost over four thousand dollars. The recent recession of 2007-2009 has impacted numerous aspects of the healthcare field from loss of health insurance for patients to the slowdown of medical imaging being performed as a result. The recession is not the only reason for the imaging slowdown. New Medicare policies and procedures, efficiency of electronic medical records (EMR) as well as an increased in awareness of radiation exposure have all lead to a decrease in medical imaging...