This study characterize national trends in oncologic imaging (OI) utilization. This retrospective cross-sectional study used 2004 and 2016 CMS 5% Carrier Claims Research Identifiable Files. Radiologist-performed, primary noninvasive diagnostic imaging examinations were identified from billed Current Procedural Terminology codes; CT, MRI, and PET/CT examinations were categorized as “advanced” imaging. OI examinations were identified from imaging claims’ primary International Classification of Diseases-9 and International Classification of Diseases-10 codes. Imaging services were stratified by academic practice status and place of service. State-level correlations of oncologic advanced imaging utilization (examinations per 1,000 beneficiaries) with cancer prevalence and radiologist supply were assessed by Spearman correlation coefficient.OI usage varied between practice settings. Although the percentage of advanced OI done in academic settings nearly
doubled from 2004 to 2016, the majority remained in nonacademic practices. Full Article
Andrew B. Rosenkrantz, MD, Laura Chaves Cerdas, MS, Danny R. Hughes, PhD, Michael P. Recht, MD, Sharyl J. Nass, PhD, Hedvig Hricak, MD, PhD. 2020. "National Trends in Oncologic Diagnostic Imaging," Journal of American College of Radiology (JACR): 1116 - 1122.
The operational and financial impact of the widespread coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) curtailment of imaging services on radiology practices is unknown. We aimed to characterize recent COVID-19-related community practice noninvasive diagnostic imaging professional work declines. The authors used imaging metadata from nine community radiology practices across the United States between January 2019 and May 2020, and mapped work relative value unit (wRVU)-weighted stand-alone noninvasive diagnostic imaging service codes to both modality and body region. Full Article
Richard Duszak Jr, MD, Jeff Maze, MB, Candice Sessa, MS, Howard B. Fleishon, MD, Lauren P. Golding, MD, Gregory N. Nicola, MD, Danny R. Hughes, Ph. 2020. "Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Community Practice Declines in Noninvasive Diagnostic Imaging Professional Work," Journal of American College of Radiology (JACR)
The purpose of this study is to characterize evolving radiology trainee exposure to invasive procedures.
Full Article
Andrew B. Rosenkrantz, MD, MPA, C. Matthew Hawkins, MD, Lori A. Deitte, MD, Jennifer Hemingway, MS, Danny R. Hughes, PhD, Richard Duszak Jr, MD. 2019. "Invasive Procedural Versus Diagnostic Imaging and Clinical Services Rendered by Radiology Trainees Over Two Decades," Journal of American College of Radiology (JACR), 16(6)
The aim of this study was to assess changing Medicare volumes of, and coverage for, secondary interpretations of diagnostic imaging examinations stratified by modality and body region service families. Full Article
Andrew B. Rosenkrantz, MD, MPA, McKinley Glover, MD, MHS, Stella K. Kang, MD, Jennifer Hemingway, MS, Danny R. Hughes, PhD, Richard Duszak Jr, MD. 2018. "Volume and Coverage of Secondary Imaging Interpretation Under Medicare, 2003 to 2016," Journal of the American College of Radiology
This paper reviews existing publicly available data sets that may be useful for performing imaging disparities research. Full Article
Hughes, D.R. 2018. "Can You Do Health Disparities Research with Publicly Available Datasets?," Academic Radiology
The aim of this study was to assess the potential impact of ACR evidence-based advocacy on radiologist professional reimbursement from individual-provider CMS multiple-procedure payment reduction (MPPR) initiatives. Full Article
Sadigh, G., Hughes, D.R., Wang, W., Allen, B., McGinty, G., Silva, E., Duszak, R. 2017. "Radiologist Professional Payments After Mitigation of CMS’s Multiple-Procedure Payment Reduction Initiatives," Journal of the American College of Radiology
To assess subspecialty practice characteristics of the U.S. radiologist workforce. Despite an increased focus on radiology subspecialization, most U.S. radiologists are majority general radiologists on the basis of their work RVUs. Subspecialization is by far more prevalent in larger and academic practices. Full Article
Rosenkrantz, A.B., Wang, W., Hughes, D.R., Duszak, R. 2017. "Generalist versus Subspecialist Characteristics of the U.S. Radiologist Workforce," Radiology
Meaningfully measuring physician outcomes and resource utilization requires appropriate patient risk adjustment. We aimed to assess Medicare patient complexity by physician specialty and to further identify radiologist characteristics associated with higher patient complexity. Full Article
Rosenkrantz, A.B., Wang, W., Vijayasarathi, A., Duszak, R. 2017. "Physician Specialty and Radiologist Characteristics Associated with Higher Medicare Patient Complexity," Academic Radiology
The objective of the study was to assess temporal changes in the utilization of musculoskeletal extremity imaging in Medicare beneficiaries over a recent 20-year period (1994–2013). Full Article
Gyftopoulos, S., Harkey, P., Hemingway, J., Hughes, D.R., Rosenkrantz, A.B., Duszak, R. 2017. "Changing Musculoskeletal Extremity Imaging Utilization From 1994 Through 2013: A Medicare Beneficiary Perspective," American Journal of Roentgenology
The study identified factors associated with list price variation for radiologists’ services. Full Article
Rosenkrantz, A.B., Wang, W., Vijayasarathi, A., Duszak, R. 2017. "Factors Influencing List Prices for Radiologists’ Services," Journal of the American College of Radiology
