Faced with double-digit annual increases in the use of advanced imaging services, such as computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans, health plans are stepping up efforts to slow the proliferation of advanced imaging services, according to a study released Feb. 25 by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC). The study’s findings are detailed in a new HSC issue brief, Health Plans Target Advanced Imaging Services: Cost, Quality and Safety Concerns Prompt Renewed Oversight.
Along with escalating cost pressures resulting from the rapid growth in imaging utilization, there also are growing concerns about patient safety and quality of care related to rapid increases in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), CT and PET scans, and nuclear cardiology imaging. For example, according to a 2007 McKinsey and Co. analysis, the number of CT scans performed in the United States grew 13 percent annually between 2000 and 2005, rising from 12 CT scans per 100 people in 2000 to 22 scans per 100 in 2005.
Repeated imaging may result from poor-quality images generated by substandard equipment or from inaccurate interpretation of results by inadequately trained physicians. Regardless, repeated use of CT scans, for example, can expose patients to excessive amounts of radiation, because these scans generally emit significantly larger amounts of radiation than traditional X-rays. Read the issue brief.
