Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Affordable Care Act and Radiology

The affordable care act has been met with both favorable and not so favorable reviews. One interesting thing to question is what the affordable care act may mean for Radiology on an academic level. We know about the tax on medical devices but that’s a different story altogether.


Academic radiology departments are looking at possibly taking new approaches in terms of what’s a necessity for lower volume and higher quality. Some of the newer approaches are the following:
  1. Appropriate utilization: Academic radiology departments can provide support to referring physicians for determining when imaging is appropriate.
  2. Radiation dose control: ACA will probably increase the volume of imaging orders, and radiologists will need to know which tests to use at the most efficient radiation dose.
  3. Reimbursement changes: Although the current fee-for-service model will continue in some form under ACA, new payment models such as bundled payments and pay for performance are gaining ground.
  4. Medical informatics: ACA will spark increased use of imaging informatics to track quality, safety, productivity, scheduling, billing, and feedback from patients and referring physicians.
  5. Accountable care organizations (ACOs): As ACA is implemented; these groups will play a key role in the effort to curb inappropriate imaging.

This approach from Academic Radiology will certainly help a great deal in part because of the following reasons:
  1. Radiation control, as radiation is controlled there is less concern of over exposure and far more focus on quality imaging.
  2. Pay for performance actually increases the level of pressure on Radiologists to perform with the utmost care and attention to detail.
  3. With ACOs curbing the inappropriate use of imaging there is likely to be so many complaints about so many bills and such little results.

Hopefully these improvements will mean that the patient will properly benefit and be protected from overexposure. While it’s difficult to say if these implications are long term or short term, it’s good to hope for something that will give patients the best service possible.

If you have any questions about diagnostic imaging procedures please feel free to give us a call. Our dedicated team of imaging experts here at Clermont Radiology looks forward to answering all your questions. We here at Clermont Radiology pride ourselves in providing our patients the best quality imaging with a focus on satisfaction and results.


Charla Hurst
General Operations Manager

Charla@ClermontRadiology.com  
352-241-6100 


Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Breast Cancer and Aging

One day you go in to get a mammogram and you find out you have breast cancer. The diagnosis explains why you may be feeling weaker; perhaps some unexplained pain as a result of an unusually bothersome lump. Although lumps are not always painful, to have one, and discover it is cancer can really get inside your head. Breast cancer will affect one in every eight women and ultimately it will have a lagging effect on everyone, not just a woman affected by it.

Breast cancer is not a certain death sentence as it was before advocacy became a big part of the fight against the disease. There are several areas outside of a woman’s physical well being affected by breast cancer and those areas are:
  • Family
  • Mental Health
  • Diet
  • Regular Habits


Having breast cancer is a serious challenge; even having an early stage of breast cancer is a major problem. During the early stages a woman’s fear may originate from not knowing whether or not treatment will be effective. There is also a major concern; will the treatment use create an unexpected reaction in the individual? In the end there are so many concerns that they start to have a negative and stressful effect on the woman.

To imagine that you may die and leave loved one behind is a source of stress and feeling like everything has to change. Unfortunately the tolls on mental health are debilitating. It’s not that breast cancer will drive a patient to madness so much as the fact that it will make a patient feel like there’s very little about life that’s positive.

Breast cancer at any stage seems to age women at a fairly rapid rate. The multiple procedures coupled with the treatment that can expand from hormone therapy the chemo therapy and radiation therapy. What ages a woman is not just the therapy but also the stress. Stress and concern over what things may come is a big part of may serve as an aide to aging.

While aging is a natural process it’s vital to a breast cancer patient’s well being not to allow stress and nerves to speed up the process. If you are concerned about possibly having breast cancer, make sure to get your mammograms and also to engage in self exams. It’s vital to ask questions and be aware of the facts of breast cancer. Aging quicker as a result of breast cancer can only worsen the effect of the disease.

If you have any questions about diagnostic imaging procedures such as the mammogram please feel free to give us a call. Our dedicated team of professionals looks forward to answering your questions and aiding you in all your diagnostic imaging needs.



Charla Hurst
General Operations Manager

Charla@ClermontRadiology.com  
352-241-6100