Texas radiologists say patient safety at risk due to overuse of scans
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
January 14, 2009
In what some Texas physicians are labeling a 'turf battle,' Texas radiologists are asking state legislators this week to order a study of who owns medical scanning equipment, and how many scans are done by those owners, reports The Austin American Statesman. The number of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans has increased from 3 million in 1980 to 62 million by the mid-2000s, according to a study in the November 2007 New England Journal of Medicine. CT scans deliver 100 times the amount of radiation than X-rays; however, no formal studies have been done concerning the risk of cancer associated with these scans, says the article.
The Texas Radiological Society says that because more physicians have installed these medical devices in their own offices, trained radiologists are often not completing the scans, although doctors are still asking radiologists to read the scans. However, doctors are paid for each scan they complete, which makes physicians think the issue is less about patient safety and more about who should be receiving payment for completing the scans. The Texas Radiological Society wants Texas to pass a law requiring those who complete medical scans to be accredited.
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