May 21, 2017
New Research Finds Radiologists Serve More CMS Beneficiaries Each Year Than Other Specialties
Washington, DC – According to a new study, diagnostic radiologists on average serve more unique Medicare beneficiaries each year than any other specialty. The work, conducted by researchers at the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute, was presented at the American College of Radiology annual meeting.
The researchers assessed the number of unique Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries radiologists served yearly, compared with other specialists. Using Medicare Physician and Other Supplier Public Use Files, all physicians who provided services to Medicare FFS beneficiaries in 2013 were identified.
“We found that of all 56 uniquely identifiable physician specialties providing services to Medicare FFS beneficiaries in 2013, diagnostic radiologists served an average of 3,150 beneficiaries, more than any other specialty,” said lead author Kristina E. Hoque, MS, MD, PhD, a neuroradiology fellow at the University of Southern California.
Hoque and her colleagues found that cardiologists, cardiac electrophysiologists, dermatologists and urologists were also included in the top five specialties serving CMS beneficiaries. Interventional radiologists ranked eighth and nuclear medicine physicians ranked 16th.
“All too often, radiology is thought of as a non-patient facing profession. This single snapshot of imaging utilization demonstrates radiologists to be leaders in current patient care orchestration,” noted Hoque.
“As radiologists continue to play a more prominent role in patient care, it is critical to emphasize a value-based patient centered mentality,” said Richard Duszak, MD, FACR, professor and vice chair for health policy and practice in the department of radiology and imaging sciences at Emory University and affiliate senior research fellow at the Neiman Institute. “In effect, not only will radiologists continue to touch more patient lives than any other medical specialty, they will also perhaps impact the practice of other subspecialties more than any other type of physician.”
ACR 2017 – The Crossroads of Radiology is taking place through May 25 at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. Visit the ACR 2017 website to view the full abstract.
To arrange an interview with a Neiman Institute spokesperson, contact Nicole Racadag at (703) 716-7559 or nracadag@neimanhpi.org.
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About the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute
The Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute is one of the nation’s leading medical imaging socioeconomic research organizations. The Neiman Institute studies the role and value of radiology and radiologists in evolving health care delivery and payment systems and the impact of medical imaging on the cost, quality, safety and efficiency of health care. Visit us at www.neimanhpi.org and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.