Quantum Imaging & Therapeutic Associates, Inc, a 40-radiologist practice in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, faced a problem common to radiology groups in the post-DRA era: improving efficiency without decreasing the quality of its interpretations. Elizabeth Bergey, MD, CEO of the group, says, “Radiologist efficiency and efficacy are based, somewhat, on internal factors. Everybody has his or her own personal work ethic, and in any population, there will be some variation.

The topic of efficiency in radiology is both politically and emotionally charged. Improvements in radiologists’ productivity are increasingly critical to financial viability, but cannot be achieved at the expense of clinical quality, especially at a time when quality will be increasingly closely linked to reimbursement. Further, any radiology group that begins tracking (or even providing incentives for) efficiency risks an uphill battle, in terms of changing the culture of its business.

As health systems around the country initiate conversations with various constituents about becoming accountable-care organizations (ACOs), consternation in the radiology community continues over exactly what participation from practices might look like. Alan Kaye, MD, CEO of Advanced Radiology Consultants (Fairfield, Connecticut), says, “Almost

At the 2012 Annual Meeting & Leadership Summit of the California Radiological Society in San Francisco, California, Richard Duszak, MD, presented “Physician Performance Measurement and Management: Benefits and Pitfalls” on September 8. He was originally asked to cover measuring physician productivity, but Duszak makes a distinction between

Accuracy in radiology can be difficult to gauge; even interpretation, as the term for a radiologist’s work on an imaging study, suggests shades of gray. To quantify accuracy better, 12 years ago, the radiology department at Monmouth Medical Center (Long Branch, New Jersey) launched a project in which it cataloged its attending radiologists’

There are performance attributes that we measure well in today’s radiology practice. We are adept at tracking and analyzing clinical productivity, various revenue indicators, and compliance with programs such as meaningful use and the Physician Quality Reporting System. We have the ability to correlate profitability with payor mix, and we can

As radiology practices around the country become increasingly reliant on business analytics and intelligence for decision-making support, the time is ripe to begin devoting additional attention to refining the processes by which their measurements are generated, according to Bill Pickart, CEO of Integrated Medical Partners (IMP). “It is imperative

After consulting for the practice for several years, two years ago, Robert Cannistra joined Radiologic Associates PC (Middletown, New York) as its director of IT. Like many in the informatics field, Cannistra says, he was surprised by the unique challenges that health-care providers face when he first began consulting for hospitals and health-care