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According to a study published in the February issue of the 'Journal of American College of Radiology', the utilisation of 'noninvasive diagnostic imaging' has increased among the private office settings of nonradiologist physicians than radiologists and hospital out-patient services.

The aim of the study was to examine recent shifts in place of service for noninvasive diagnostic imaging (NDI) and determine whether hospitals have lost business to private outpatient imaging facilities.The study was conducted by David C. levin and colleagues of the Center for Research on Utilization of Imaging Services, Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The nationwide Medicare Part B databases from 1996 to 2006 were used and utilization rates per 1,000 Medicare beneficiaries were calculated.The changes in utilisation rates  of noninvasive diagnostic imaging (NDI) in the 4 primary locations were calculated in which such imaging is conducted: hospital inpatient settings, hospital outpatient facilities, private offices or imaging centers. Medicare noninvasive diagnostic imaging rates per 1,000 beneficiaries:

Place of service	Percentage change
Hosp inpt	+15
Hosp outpt	+25
Private offices	+63
EDs	+77
Other locations	+51

 

Total outpatient imaging rates (both hospital and office) went up 45%. As a result of the more rapid growth in private office imaging, hospitals' share of this market dropped from 47% in 1996 to 41% in 2006. Private office imaging utilization rates between 1996 and 2006 grew by 71% among nonradiologist physicians, compared with 44% among radiologists.

The authors write that the patients are prefering private settings to hospital settings and the main reasons towards this trend are that the hospitals dont have enough outpatient imaging capacity, new equipment and also the hospitals has a common radiology wing where both inpatients and outpatients are imaged. The authors suggest that the hospitals need to increase their capacity and market among the referring physicians, patients and the insurance carriers.

Source: Journal of American College of Radiology