Turf wars in radiology: the overutilization of imaging resulting from self-referral.
A recent report by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission to Congress indicated that the utilization of diagnostic imaging is growing more rapidly than that of any other type of physician service. This has engendered concern among those who pay for health care. In this article, the authors review the role of self-referral in driving up imaging utilization. A number of studies of the self-referral factor in imaging have been conducted over the past three decades. These have consistently shown that when nonradiologist physicians operate their own imaging equipment and have the opportunity to self-refer, their utilization is substantially higher than among other physicians who refer their patients to radiologists. It has also been shown that the vast bulk of the recent increases in imaging utilization are attributable to nonradiologists who self-refer. The authors estimate that the cost to the American health care system of unnecessary imaging resulting from self-referral by nonradiologists is $16 billion per year.
Levin
David C
DC
Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA. david.levin@mail.tju.edu
Rao
Vijay M
VM
D016265:Conflict of Interest; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D018584:Physician Self-Referral / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011871:Radiology / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures