Nuclear medicine in private practice.
The private practice of nuclear medicine has evolved over the past decade. Federal and state regulatory agencies, reduction in reimbursement, and a shortage of qualified physicians and technologists will affect the practice of nuclear medicine in the 1990s and beyond. Only by being proactive and able to provide credible clinical information to our referring physicians can nuclear medicine position itself for the next decade. We must continue to educate referring physicians about the cost-effectiveness and functional and physiological nature of nuclear medicine. We need to encourage medical students and physicians in training to consider nuclear medicine as a career path, and we need to provide meaningful clinical information to our referral base. In addition to these challenges, we should also remember that nuclear medicine cannot survive in a vacuum. We must support our professional societies and have ongoing representation at all levels of government. Membership in the American Medical Association, the Society of Nuclear Medicine, the American College of Nuclear Physicians, the American College of Radiology, and the Radiological Society of North America all help strengthen our voice at the state and national levels. We must continue to effectively present our specialty's positions to the various state and federal agencies that regulate our practice. We must demand high quality studies from our peers and continue to be advocates for our patients.
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D003363:Cost Control / Q000639:trends; D006295:Health Resources / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D009683:Nuclear Medicine / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D011331:Private Practice / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D014481:United States