Healthcare Information Exchanges help reduce redundant imaging services, according to a study published in the American Journal of Managed Care.
Physicians are not always able to access previous medical images, so they simply order more imaging. However, imaging is costly and unnecessarily drives up costs. The study looked to see if HIEs were effective in helping physicians reduce repeat imaging.
Researchers conducted the study based on a cohort of 196,314 patients in New York, comparing HIE usage logs to claims data for imaging procedures. Of this group, 34,604 had at least one imaging procedure.
They found if providers accessed the HIE system within 90 days of the first imaging procedure, just 5.2 percent of procedures were repeated. In comparison, 8 percent were repeated when the HIE was not accessed, according to the report. Most repeat imaging occurred quickly after the initial procedure: about 50 percent was completed within the first 30 days and 80 percent was completed in the first 60 days.
When adjusted, this means the odds of a repeat imaging procedure decreased by 25 percent after HIE access, according to the report.
More articles on health IT:
Viewpoint: 4 reasons wearable devices don't change health behaviors
Physicians want hospital IT to address mobile requirements
Clinical documentation improvement guidelines from ACP