Report from ACC: Cardiologists slowly adopt appropriateness criteria

April 1, 2009 Diagnostic Imaging. Report from ACC: Cardiologists slowly adopt appropriateness criteria By Alice Goodman More than 13% of SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging exams are performed without clinical justification, and the appropriateness of another 14% is questionable, according to a pilot study that assesses physician referring practices and compliance with American College of Cardiology Appropriate Use Criteria. The investigation suggests that cardiologists and other ordering physicians have been slow to adopt the criteria since their introduction by the ACC in 2004. It also found that supplemental training will lead to better referring physician compliance with the guidelines. The study was conducted jointly by the ACC, the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, and UnitedHealthcare, a large health insurer based in Minnesota.

See full article and related articles at DiagnosticImaging.com
This article was republished with permission from CMPMedica, LLC