NIA supports FDA initiative to reduce radiation overexposure from medical imaging

"We strongly support the FDA’s call for greater awareness and collaboration across various government and health care entities in addressing this industry issue that carries such important patient safety implications," said Michael J. Pentecost, M.D., associate chief medical officer of NIA. “The credibility and visibility of the FDA’s involvement likely will make a significant impact on this long-standing issue, and we agree that the best way to protect consumers against unnecessary radiation exposure is to implement a system of checks and balances that mitigate this risk.”

The new FDA-led initiative is largely consistent with the tenets of NIA’s radiation exposure safeguards that have protected the best interests of the members covered by NIA’s health plan and government agency customers for many years. Specifically, the FDA’s promotion of a personal health record system is especially important because radiation exposure is cumulative and each medical imaging scan increases a patient’s lifetime risks.

“By encouraging consumers to take an active role in their health care, we can foster healthy patient–physician dialogue and informed decision-making that allows a balancing of the medical benefits with the risks of future imaging studies,” said Thomas Dehn, M.D., F.A.C.R., executive vice president and chief medical officer of NIA. “NIA was an industry pioneer in this area – both in terms of consumer engagement and in terms of tracking cumulative radiation exposure for the 19 million Americans under our care.”

NIA pioneered the radiology benefits management (RBM) industry in 1995 to address the problem of medical radiation overexposure through data-driven solutions that ensure patients receive the right scan at the right time. Today, these programs ensure access to the most clinically appropriate, high-quality diagnostic imaging procedures for more than 90 million Americans through commercial, Medicare Advantage, or state health plans.

"When used appropriately, diagnostic imaging delivers tremendous benefit and value," Dr. Pentecost said. “However, multiple independent studies conclude that as many as one in every three imaging procedures is clinically inappropriate. There is no safe or justifiable amount of radiation from a clinically unnecessary test. Collaborative efforts, like the FDA’s new initiative, are a step in the right direction for ensuring that every patient receives the right scan, at the right time.”

SOURCE National Imaging Associates