VIDEO: Radiology takeaways from the 2022 AMA meeting
Arl Van Moore, MD, American College of Radiology (ACR) delegate to the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates, former ACR president, chairman of the ACR Board and former CEO of Strategic Radiology, discussed two radiology-related policy decisions made at the AMA 2022 meeting.
The biggest medical imaging-related news was a resolution that directs the AMA to lobby Congress to change the language and implementation of the current Medicare mandate that all advanced medical imaging exams (CT, MRI, nuclear) needs documentation that the order included consulting of clinician decision support (CDS) software. This is to ensure all imaging exams ordered fall under appropriate use criteria (AUC) set by various medical societies.
The goal of the legislation, which originated under the the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (PAMA), is to reduce costs associated with unnecessary, expensive imaging exams. However, numerous imaging societies have complained to CMS that the rule will cause undue administrative burden on radiologists. The policy also penalizes radiologists with non-payment if an order does not have CDS documentation. This is despite the fact that use the CDS software needs to come from the referring physicians and CDS documentation cannot be amended by the radiologist in the order.
Van Moore also discussed AMA's support of a policy that calls on Congress to take action against drug shortages to prevent problems in delivering healthcare. Medical imaging has faced a serious shortage of iodine contrast agents over the past couple months due to a COVID-19 shutdown of a manufacturing plant in China. This raised serious concerns about the stability of international supply chains.
The AMA resolution originally targeted a handful of every day drugs that have been on shortage and is impacting hospital care, but the contrast agent language was added at the meeting because of the serious impact on care it has had.
For more on the contrast shortage watch the VIDEO: Imaging contrast shortage is delaying procedures and causing rationing — Interview with Alan Matsumoto, MD.
Related AMA and Clinical Decision Support Content
VIDEO: AMA will ask Congress to revise clinical decision support mandate — Interview with ASNC delegates at AMA
How radiology should prepare for AUC clinical decision support reporting requirements
VIDEO: Imaging societies ask Congress to repeal appropriate use decision support mandate — interview with Randall Thompson, MD, former ASNC president.
VIDEO: AMA president discusses gun control, physician burnout and scope creep — Interview with Gerald Harmon, MD
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Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: dfornell@innovatehealthcare.com