A Harvard professor argues there has been an “imaging slowdown” in a brand new paper, mostly referring to data prior to 2020 and even referencing the “Choosing Wisely” campaign as a possible reason for how “the reduction in imaging use has helped to minimize a potential [sic] shortage of radiologists.”
(Note: there is a shortage of radiologists, and, for example, turnaround times sharply rose after the studied period. Also, slowing growth is not a decrease in volume and does not help with a shortage in a stable or declining workforce; even modest annual volume increases compound over time.)
Just as imaging is ground zero for the health care spending slowdown, it might show the way to a new health care system. Radiology is on the front lines of the health care billing and prior authorization travesty. More than 90% of radiologists have some interaction with prior authorization in a year. Often, this interaction is manual in that staff at a radiologist’s office and the insurance company look at records and determine if an imaging test is justified; frequently, radiologists spend hours on the phone getting approval. These administrative costs add to the high price of imaging.
The tech bros don’t have a monopoly on being wrong about radiology. This is a person who seemingly has never meaningfully spoken to a radiologist or understands what prior authorization looks like for diagnostic imaging. For the academics out there, one option would be simply getting a collaborator with subject-matter expertise.
As Vinay Prasad once said, “Many papers serve no purpose, advance no agenda, may not be correct, make no sense, and are poorly read. But they are required for promotion.”
(h/t Radiology Business)