American College of Radiology supports collaborative, patient-centered approaches to reduce diagnostic errors

As a sponsor of the Sept. 22 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, the American College of Radiology (ACR) congratulates the Committee on its thorough analysis of the complex process of diagnosis and its recommendations for improvement. The College supports collaborative, patient-centered approaches to reduce diagnostic errors.

"Further minimizing diagnostic errors must involve patients and providers working together and leverage advancing technology to ensure safe, appropriate and accurate care," said Bibb Allen, Jr., MD, FACR, chair of the American College of Radiology Board of Chancellors. "It is also vital that patients understand their test results as well as the limitations of diagnostic exams," added Allen.

One aspect of the ACR Imaging 3.0™ initiative is to encourage radiologist interaction with referring providers regarding exam choice, performance, patient concerns and follow-up. The College supports the IOM recommendation for new health care delivery and payment systems that incentivize collaboration among physicians and other health care providers, including consultations with radiologists.

"If we truly want a collaborative approach to patient care, health care systems need to encourage these interactions without penalizing providers for examining errors when they do occur. We are pleased to see the IOM recognize this," said Allen.

The ACR also supports the IOM recommendation that health systems leverage informatics to provide providers with the latest evidence-based practice through clinical decision support systems embedded in the clinical workflow. For more than 20 years, the ACR, with hundreds of physician experts from more than 20 radiology and non-radiology specialty organizations, has developed and continually updated ACR Appropriateness Criteria® using a strong evidence-based literature review. ACR Select®, the electronic version of ACR Appropriateness Criteria, is a solution that implements the IOM recommendation to integrate clinical decision support (CDS) into electronic health record systems. CDS for ordering imaging examinations will guide referring physicians, help their patients avoid unwarranted testing and ensure that patients get the right exam for their "health problem" as defined by the IOM.

Recognizing the growing importance of this concept, Congress enacted the Protecting Access to Medicare Act which, among other things, outlines a process by which ordering providers, effective Jan. 1, 2017, will be required to consult appropriateness criteria prior to referring Medicare patients for advanced imaging services. The ACR believes the IOM recommendation provides further confirmation of Congress's leadership regarding expanded access to imaging appropriateness criteria.

The College has dedicated significant resources to make radiology care more patient- and family-centered, including the establishment of the Commission on Patient experience, and encourages patient-centered solutions to reduce diagnostic errors. The ACR has implemented numerous programs to improve quality and safety and reduce error probability - including facility accreditation, Diagnostic Imaging Centers of Excellence (DICOE™) and practice parameters and technical standards.

"The ACR looks forward to working with all stakeholders cited by the IOM to reduce diagnostic errors in non-punitive, patient-centered ways that raise quality, encourage collaboration and protect access to care," said Allen.

Source: American College of Radiology