Olivia Bobrowsky

Healthcare reform may be shaking up the medical imaging community in every which way, but according to Jef Williams, vice president of Ascendian Healthcare Consulting, there are just four main tenets of healthcare that are really driving the change.

In this video, Williams boils the list down to electronic health records, health information exchanges, accountable care organizations (ACOs) and declining reimbursements.

Still, the combined impact of these four forces is considerable.

“It’s requiring the imaging specialists, the leaders in healthcare, in imaging, to step outside of their comfort zones and get outside of their departments, get outside of their silos,” he said, “and look at ways to work collaboratively.”

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VIDEO - Consultant Jef Williams details the four areas driving change in healthcare for radiologists.

The Four Forces Driving Healthcare Change

Consolidation may be the name of the game in medical imaging today, but what’s really behind all the mergers and acquisitions? 

Brian Baker, president of Regents Health Resources, offered up a few explanations, including the price disparity between how much outpatient providers and hospital providers get paid for the same services.

“MedPAC has realized this, and so they’re recommending that those two rates be brought in line with each other,” Baker said, referring to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission which advises Congress on Medicare issues. “And I would guess you can bank on the fact that they’re not going to raise outpatient medical imaging rates to match hospital rates. They’re going to bring hospital rates down.”

So now there’s this short window where hospitals can take advantage of this rate disparity by buying outpatient centers, he said, speaking in a video interview at the recent AHRA 2013 meeting.

What’s more, Baker said, it’s not just about the buyer making a profit – the businesses being sold can benefit from the acquisition as well. In this video, Baker explains why, and whether that’s always the way to go.

VIDEO: What’s behind the imaging operations mergers and acquisitions? Brian Baker discusses the why and what to do about medical imaging consolidation.

Why Radiology Operations are Consolidating

As reimbursements decline and imaging facilities look at new profit models, an emphasis on patient satisfaction is on the rise.

“We have to focus and really put an effort in to deliver an experience for our patients,” said Jamie Verkamp, managing partner at (e)Merge Medical Marketing Consultants. It’s especially important to consider patient satisfaction now that reimbursements are tied to patient satisfaction scores, she added in an interview at the recent AHRA 2013 annual conference.

To boost those scores, Verkamp said facilities should start by examining the behaviors of patient-facing employees. She stressed the importance of ensuring imaging centers employ the right people with the right characteristics in the right positions.

“Skills can be taught,” she said, “but behaviors are hard to change.”

In this video, Verkamp shares what she considers to be the top three qualities of patient-facing employees, along with some advice for leaders on how to cultivate those behaviors.

VIDEO: Radiology facilities are increasing their focus on patient satisfaction. Consultant Jamie Verkamp discusses qualities of patient-facing employees.

Key Behaviors of Patient-facing Employees

From dose management systems to wireless DR detectors to high-tech displays, several new and exciting products were on display at the AHRA 2013 exhibit hall. Here’s a small sample.Did we miss a product that caught your eye? Tell us about it in the comments section below.And here’s where to go for more information on each product listed:1. Canon’s RadPRO D2-50RF Dynamic Digital RF System2. Sectra DoseTrack3. Hitachi’s Noblus4. Philips’s IntelliSpace PACS Anywhere5. Sony’s LMD-DM30 and LMD-DM50 Radiology Displays6. Hologic’s Horizon DXA7. Konica Minolta’s AeroDR8.Â  Kubtec’s XPERT 409. Del Medical’s EV800 Elevating, Four-Way Float Top Table10. Carestream’s DRX-Revolution Mobile

Olivia Bobrowsky

Articles

The Four Forces Driving Healthcare Change

Why Radiology Operations are Consolidating

Key Behaviors of Patient-facing Employees

10 New Tools from AHRA 2013