Cost accounting in radiology: new directions and importance for policy.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this article is to promote insight into radiology costs through improvements in assessing patient-level cost data. Accurate patient costing is a prerequisite for establishing a proper payment system-one where the price paid for a service approximates the cost of delivering that service. In the absence of an accurate payment scheme, margins can vary significantly from one patient to the next.


CONCLUSIONS
The resulting financial incentives skew the radiology marketplace away from the provision of efficient and appropriate care toward the selection of patients whose costs are low relative to reimbursements.
Muchantef
Karl
K
Queens University School of Medicine, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6 Canada.
Forman
Howard P
HP
D000066:Accounting; D003363:Cost Control; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000191:economics*; D005377:Financial Management, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital / Q000191:economics*