Physicians with financial interest in imaging equipment are more likely to refer their patients for potentially unnecessary imaging exams, according to a Radiological Society of North America news release.
A study presented at RSNA's annual meeting found that self-referral — when non-radiologist physicians refer their patients to imaging services in which the physicians have a financial interest — contributes significantly to high healthcare costs.
The researchers studied utilization of lumbar spine MRI by physicians with and without financial interest in the equipment. They found that, compared with the control group, physicians with a financial interest had 86 percent more negative scans, signaling a greater number of potentially unnecessary exams.
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A study presented at RSNA's annual meeting found that self-referral — when non-radiologist physicians refer their patients to imaging services in which the physicians have a financial interest — contributes significantly to high healthcare costs.
The researchers studied utilization of lumbar spine MRI by physicians with and without financial interest in the equipment. They found that, compared with the control group, physicians with a financial interest had 86 percent more negative scans, signaling a greater number of potentially unnecessary exams.
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