profession

Variation in ED imaging rates not dependent on physician training

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted July 1, 2013

Print  |   Email  |   Respond  |   Reprints  |   Like Facebook  |   Share Twitter  |   Tweet Linkedin

Varying utilization of emergency department imaging by physicians has little to do with a doctor’s experience, training or gender, according to a study published online June 25 in Radiology.

Previous research showed substantial variation in imaging rates in emergency departments, suggesting different tendencies among physicians when ordering imaging.

In the Radiology study, authors analyzed 88,851 ED visits during 2011 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The overall rate of imaging utilization by doctors in the Massachusetts General ED was 45% in 2011 (link).

Analysis of the data revealed that physician-related factors such as gender, experience and training did not correlate with imaging use. Instead, patient and visit factors were the predominant predictors of the likelihood of imaging for a given visit. Such factors included prior visits, referral sources, arrival modes and clinical reasons for the visit.

Workload was another significant factor in imaging use, the study showed. A busier emergency department resulted in a tendency toward more high-cost imaging.

Back to top


ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISE HERE


Featured
Read story

Confronting bias against obese patients

Medical educators are starting to raise awareness about how weight-related stigma can impair patient-physician communication and the treatment of obesity. Read story


Read story

Goodbye

American Medical News is ceasing publication after 55 years of serving physicians by keeping them informed of their rapidly changing profession. Read story


Read story

Policing medical practice employees after work

Doctors can try to regulate staff actions outside the office, but they must watch what they try to stamp out and how they do it. Read story


Read story

Diabetes prevention: Set on a course for lifestyle change

The YMCA's evidence-based program is helping prediabetic patients eat right, get active and lose weight. Read story


Read story

Medicaid's muddled preventive care picture

The health system reform law promises no-cost coverage of a lengthy list of screenings and other prevention services, but some beneficiaries still might miss out. Read story


Read story

How to get tax breaks for your medical practice

Federal, state and local governments offer doctors incentives because practices are recognized as economic engines. But physicians must know how and where to find them. Read story


Read story

Advance pay ACOs: A down payment on Medicare's future

Accountable care organizations that pay doctors up-front bring practice improvements, but it's unclear yet if program actuaries will see a return on investment. Read story


Read story

Physician liability: Your team, your legal risk

When health care team members drop the ball, it's often doctors who end up in court. How can physicians improve such care and avoid risks? Read story

  • Stay informed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • LinkedIn