A new study performed at Harborview Medical Centre, in Seattle Washington, showed that 26% of MRI’s and CT scans ordered were inappropriate. A shockingly high result. Lead Author Robert Bree M.D had this to say about the study:
“Our study shows that CT and MRI examinations ordered in the outpatient primary care setting are frequently not appropriate based on the application of a national radiology benefit management company’s evidence-based guidelines. A high percentage of examinations not meeting appropriateness criteria and subsequently yielding negative results suggest a need for tools to help primary care physicians improve the quality of their imaging decision requests,”
“This is important information for policy makers as they struggle with physicians and patients who are unhappy with restrictive utilization management programs and payers and the public who are looking for ways to decrease health care costs and increase quality and safety of exams in an era of higher awareness of effects of excess radiation. A reasonable compromise might be found in the newly emerging clinical decision support systems,”
It’s always disheartening to hear about the abuse of health technology. [Science Daily]
