Peter MacIsaac wrote:
I would appreciate a little help. I am involved in a project looking at
a range of issues around radiology referrals. I would intend passing on
the report for comment when drafted. However in the meanwhile there
has been a steady increase in the cost of radiology services over
recent years.
So? There have been steady increases in the cost of many things over
recent years.
We are looking for likely hypotheses from the coal face
as to what might explain this.
- Better and more useful imaging modalities becoming available;
- Population getting older and sicker;
- Patients demanding more tests;
- Possibly doctors becoming more defensive;
- Radiologists promoting their new machines that go ping - for example,
recently one local medical imaging practice has been promoting CT
arthrograms as the poor man's alternative to MRI for suspected knee
derangements.
- GPs working in corporate type practices with CT scanners on site have
signs on the footpath (I saw this myself a few days ago in Adelaide)
advertising this to passersby. The sign didn't quite shout: "Do you
have a headache? It could be caused by a brain tumour. Why not pop in
now, sign the bulk billing form and find out?"
- Do you want any more?
Another glaringly obvious issue is the
lack of electronic referrals to radiologists – we are not sure to what
is the extent of computer generation of printed request forms, and there
seems to be little electronic transfer occurring.
I am sitting here with my lonely Argus software, ready to send. None of
the local medical imaging practices have yet told us that they are ready
to receive my referrals electronically. Now that you have raised the
question, I will contact them tomorrow.
Any ideas appreciated. If people send them directly to me I will
collate and return to the list for comment to reduce traffic.
I will be interested to hear what else you get.
--
Oliver Frank, general practitioner
255 North East Road, Hampstead Gardens, South Australia 5086
Phone 08 8261 1355 Fax 08 8266 5149 Mobile 0407 181 683
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