Vaultara Blog

The American College of Radiology (ACR) is a non-profit, professional society with over 30,000 members, consisting of radiation oncologists, radiologists, and clinical medical physicists. Their primary purposes are: advancing the science of radiology, improving radiologic services to patients, studying socioeconomic aspects with regards to radiology, and encouraging continuous study in radiology and medical physics, as well as associated fields.

They periodically define new practice parameters and procedures in order to advance the field of radiology and improve the quality of service to patients. The following is a summary of the most recent document regarding the proper communication of diagnostic imaging findings. Source: ACR Practice Parameter for Communication of Diagnostic Imaging Findings Res. 11 – 2014.

Unnecessary medical imaging is a very real problem in the US, leading to longer wait times for diagnoses, increased healthcare expense, and potentially strained doctor-patient relationships. In addition to the delays, costs, and stress that redundant imaging can cause for patients, there are some modalities, such as CT scans, where cumulative radiation exposure is a concern.

Dr. Erik Korzen of Dynamic Physical Health specializes in physical medicine and pain management through conservative care. He believes there are multiple causes for the over-use of medical imaging. One is simply the ease of access to imaging centers and the fact that the technology is widely available. A physician simply writes an order, then the imaging center schedules an appointment. Once the procedure is performed, the images are viewed by a radiologist and returned to the ordering physician, usually all within 24-48 hrs.