The top 10 Radiology Business stories of 2019
A new dangerous lung disease caused by vaping and a policy change that could cost radiology billions were just a few of the stories that resonated with Radiology Business readers in 2019. But it was the topic of patient shielding that drew the most eyeballs.
Here’s a quick rundown of our most-clicked stories over the past year:
10) RI-RADS would let radiologists grade physicians' imaging orders
When physicians place orders for imaging exams, they often leave out key information that could help the radiologist provide better patient care. However, the authors of a September analysis, published in the European Journal of Radiology, have proposed a standardized grading system, the Reason for exam Imaging Reporting and Data System (RI-RADS), that could combat this issue.
9) AAPM: Patient gonadal and fetal shielding unnecessary during x-rays
Patient gonadal and fetal shielding is not necessary during x-rays and should be discontinued, according to a position statement issued by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine in April. If the patient acts afraid or anxious and the healthcare provider believes such shielding can help ease those fears, it can still occur during that specific examination. But current evidence does not support policies that require such shielding in any other scenarios.
8) Radiologist found negligent in $11.5M medical malpractice suit
Back in June, a jury awarded a young patient $11.5 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit filed against a radiologist at Boston’s Newton-Wellesley Hospital. When the patient was 18 months old, according to the lawsuit, a “significant delay” in the diagnosis and treatment of myocarditis led to cardiac arrest and permanent brain damage. Radiologist William Denison, MD, reportedly missed evidence of an enlarged heart in chest x-rays, which could have helped prevent the injuries.
7) ACR ‘disappointed’ as feds finalize policy that could cost field billions
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released its final Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2020 in November, with it taking effect on Jan. 1, 2020. One aspect of the now finalized rule has drawn ire from the American College of Radiology, which estimated that changes could cut radiology payment by $450 million in one year alone, and $5.6 billion over the next decade. Concerns stem from CMS’ plan to boost reimbursement for care-related Evaluation and Management (E/M) by about $5 billion.
6) 10 Things Radiologists Need to Know About Radiology Extenders
Medicare recently relaxed its rules on the supervision that non-physician radiology providers must have by radiologists for their respective practices to get reimbursed. In the wake of the change, these “midlevel providers” are likely to grow in importance as well as in numbers. And that may be in diagnostic as well as interventional radiology, Julie Ritzer Ross wrote in a spring issue of Radiology Business Journal. She offered up 10 insights of which all radiologists should be aware on this topic.
5) Radiologists earn $419K per year, up 4% from 2018
Radiologists earn an average of $419,000 per year, according to Medscape’s 2019 Physician Compensation Report, released in April. This makes radiology tied with dermatology for No. 5 among all specialties, trailing only cardiology, otolaryngology, plastic surgery and orthopedics. The report included feedback from more than 19,000 physicians representing more than 30 specialties, and 4% of respondents were from radiology. Data was collected between Oct. 25, 2018, and Feb. 14, 2019. Overall, the average physician salary for 2019 is $313,000.
4) Researchers urge nonradiologists to stay in their lane when interpreting advanced imaging studies
Nonradiologist physicians do not receive enough formal training to warrant allowing them to interpret complex imaging studies. That’s one of the key takeaways from a study, published Nov. 6 in the American Journal of Roentgenology. Poring over 2015 Medicare data from millions of CT, MRI, PET and general nuclear imaging tests, researchers found that radiologists did, in fact, perform the vast majority of interpretations, but nonradiologists continue to interpret thousands of tests.
Tennessee radiologist Sadhish K. Siva, MD, filed a federal class action lawsuit against the American Board of Radiology in February, alleging the ABR violated antitrust laws. According to the lawsuit, the ABR illegally tied its initial certifications to its Maintenance of Certification program, using “various anti-competitive, exclusionary, and unlawful actions” to promote the program. The suit was later dismissed in November, with an Illinois judge unconvinced that the group used anti-competitive practices to promote its certification programs.
2) CDC shares tips for radiologists facing vaping-related lung disease
It was back in October when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finally put a name to the outbreak of disease and death from vaping products. E-cigarette- or vaping-associated lung injury or “EVALI” has now affected more than 2,500 individuals in the U.S., killing 54 as of Dec. 20. Along with naming the disease, CDC officials also offered clinical guidance in October to help radiologists diagnose the condition.
1) Is it time to end patient shielding in radiology?
Though it has been in place for decades, the practice of patient shielding in radiology should be abandoned, according to an analysis published in the American Journal of Roentgenology in January. Patient shielding first began in 1976, the authors explained, due to concerns about the hereditary effects of radiation exposure. To this day, however, there have been no observed hereditary effects from radiation in any human, and much less radiation is used during imaging exams today than when patient shielding first became common practice, showing how much the industry has evolved since then. A follow-up Radiology Business Q&A with the study’s authors was our second most-clicked item of 2019.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.