Imaging manufacturers want more nuance in CDC’s COVID-19 guidance for radiologists
Imaging manufacturers are urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to add more nuance into its guidance for radiologists who treat patients with the novel coronavirus.
Currently the CDC does not recommend CT imaging or chest x-rays alone for diagnosing the disease. However, the Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance is asking the agency to incorporate recommendations from the Fleischner Society into its own guidance for providers.
In an April 17 letter, MITA also asked CDC leaders to establish an ongoing partnership with the imaging industry to help disseminate information about the field’s role in addressing the pandemic.
“Given the unprecedented scope of the present crisis, we believe that dedicated cooperation among clinical researchers, industry experts and public health institutions will be more important than ever,” Executive Director Patrick Hope said in a statement. “It is imperative that emerging evidence be rapidly and critically assessed then shared on a regular basis to provide healthcare providers with the most current scientific literature.”
The Fleischner consensus statement is the product of collaboration between an international group of experts in thoracic radiology and pulmonology. It offers up five main recommendations for imaging professionals, which can be adapted to different clinical scenarios. For instance, imaging is not routinely indicated as a screening test for COVID-19 in asymptomatic individuals. However, it is urged for those with moderate to severe features, regardless of their lab test results, according to the report, published April 7 in Radiology.
In addition, MITA also wants the CDC to reference recent COVID imaging recommendations from the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine in its guidance.
“It is our expectation that the CDC will review this aggregation of information and issue a clear communication about the role for, and value of, imaging technologies in our response to the COVID-19 crisis,” Hope added in his statement.
There’s been much debate in recent weeks about what role imaging plays in diagnosis and assessment of the virus. Along with the CDC, the American College of Radiology and others have advocated against using CT and chest radiography as front-line tools to diagnose the disease. Meanwhile, scientists in China have taken the opposite stance, using imaging as a primary method for COVID-19 assessment.
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.