Neiman Institute to Fund 6 Studies Examining Imaging’s Value

The Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute has awarded research grants to six studies that will help fulfill the Institute’s mission of creating a fuller evidence-based picture of the role of radiology in evolving health care delivery and payment models. The Institute was established in part to correct the problem of health policy makers basing regulatory and legislative decisions on incomplete and sometimes outdated data about imaging use and costs. Therefore, when its leaders turned to the problem of how to select which studies to fund, they decided to focus on four areas of interest. These were:

1. Understanding the value of imaging in improving patient outcomes and reducing costs.
2. Examining the role imaging will play in the “next generation” of health care delivery models, such as Accountable Care Organizations and medical homes.
3. Analyzing the impact imaging has on care quality, specifically the effects of the shift from fee-for-service to quality- and value-based payment on overall quality of care and the practice of radiology.
4. Understanding how the changing regulatory and payment environment will affect imaging utilization and patient access to diagnostic care.

“Our health care system is evolving to emphasize positive patient outcomes, wellness and early diagnosis and prevention as opposed to transactionally treating disease under traditional fee-for-service models,” explained Dr. Richard Duszak, CEO of the Neiman Health Policy Institute, in the press release. “Health policymakers need a greater understanding of the role diagnostic imaging plays in advancing quality care and cost-efficiency in this new environment, and we’re excited to be supporting research to expand our knowledge in this arena.” A six-member panel reviewed nearly 40 grant applications and selected the following to fund.

• Dr. Saurabh Jha (University of Pennsylvania), “Utilization of Non-Invasive Cardiac Imaging in Medicare Beneficiaries Undergoing Coronary Revascularization”
• Dr. Marta Heilbrun (University of Utah), “Demonstrating the Value of Imaging: Measuring the impact of Whole – Body versus Selective CT on length of stay in severe trauma”
• Dr. William Hsu (UCLA), “Utilization and Value of Imaging in the Elderly Population”
• Dr. Suhui Li (George Washington University), “How Does Tort Reform Affect Physicians’ Ordering of Diagnostic Imaging Services?”
• Dr. Michael Lu (Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital), “Reducing Repeat Imaging Due to Transfer of Care: Import to PACS and Formal Reports for Outside Imaging”
• Dr. Amir Khaliq (University of Oklahoma), “The Scope, Variation, and Cost of Imaging Services at Critical Access Hospitals”