Clinical decision support (CDS) software designed around the ACR Appropriateness Criteria assists health care providers in choosing appropriate imaging studies at the time of order entry. The goal of this study was to determine the impact of commercially available CDS on the ordering habits of inpatient and emergency providers.
Case Studies
Engaging the Physician
Using R-SCAN™, radiologists collaborate with family medicine clinics to enhance imaging appropriateness of lumbar spine orders. at Baylor College of Medicine. Sometimes the best patient care involves no imaging at all. So when the radiologists at Baylor College of Medicine noticed that some referring physicians were ordering more MRIs for low back pain than seemed appropriate, they took the lead to study the situation and deploy a solution for improved patient care.
Ahead of the Curve – CDS Pilot at Einstein Health
Early adopters of CDS deliver more appropriate imaging and help ordering physicians prepare for PAMA’s impact on reimbursement.
When the radiology team at Einstein Healthcare Network in Philadelphia, Pa., first heard about the
Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) of 2014, which requires providers to consult clinical decision support (CDS) for advanced image ordering, they had an uncommon response: Bring it on!
At the time, Einstein’s chair of diagnostic radiology, Terence A. S. Matalon, MD, FACR, FSIR, was already evaluating the merits of CDS to enhance patient care at the network’s three hospitals and 11 outpatient centers. The legislation further bolstered these efforts.