The mission of the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute® is to establish foundational evidence for health policy and radiology practice that promotes the effective and efficient use of health care resources and improves patient care.
November 13, 2020
Using two separate publicly available Medicare datasets, the researchers studied the frequency and characteristics of radiologist-practice separation between 2014 – 2018. View Infographic
Using the Medicare Physician-Supplier Procedure Summary Master File, we evaluated the evolving use of fMRI in Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries from 2007 through 2017. Annual use rates (per 1,000,000 enrollees) increased from 17.7 to 32.8 through 2014 and have remained static since. Radiologists have remained the dominant specialty group from 2007 to 2017 (86.4% and 88.6% of all services, respectively), and the outpatient setting has remained the dominant place of service (65.4% and 65.4%, respectively). Full Article
Solmaz Asnafi, MD, Richard Duszak Jr, MD, Jennifer M. Hemingway, MS, Danny R. Hughes, PhD, Jason W. Allen, MD, PhD. 2020. "Evolving Use of fMRI in Medicare Beneficiaries," American Journal of Neuroradiology
The aim of this study was to explore state-level relationships between the incidence and payout amounts for medical malpractice claims and Medicare imaging utilization and spending across the United States. Full Article
Alexander Villalobos, MD, Michal Horný, PhD, Danny R. Hughes, PhD, Richard Duszak, MD. 2020. "Associations Over Time Between Paid Medical Malpractice Claims and Imaging Utilization in the United States," Journal of American College of Radiology (JACR)
August 19, 2020
The aim of this study was to explore state-level relationships between the incidence and payout amounts for medical malpractice claims and Medicare imaging utilization and spending across the United States. View Infographic
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