Photo courtesy of Siemens Healthcare
January 21, 2014 — Virtual Radiologic (vRad) reported location-based variances in CT scan findings in its Radiology Patient Care (RPC) Indices. RPC Indices are a “living library” of statistically significant metrics that provide hospitals, radiology groups and health systems with objective comparisons of their use of imaging to national averages and relevant peer groups.
Vermont ranked highest in vRad’s data with 75 percent overall positive findings, followed by Washington, Maine, West Virginia and New York. Washington, D.C. had the lowest positive findings in the country at 65 percent, with Mississippi, Puerto Rico, New Mexico and Kentucky rounding out the bottom five. vRad reported the national average at 71 percent positive findings. Data is further classified by patient age, gender, body region, hospital and IDN type.
“The RPC Indices are not a score card, but a set of evidence-based information that can help physicians and hospital administrators ask the right questions to make better decisions for the health of their patients,” said Benjamin W. Strong, MD, ABIM, ABR, vRad’s chief medical officer. “For example, these findings might indicate that easier access to hospitals in Washington, D.C. results in more patients using EDs for non-emergent primary care. The low percentage of findings could be related to CTs being used as an initial diagnostic tool when compared to Vermont. The RPC Indices can help measure the clinical and financial impacts of the nuanced patient care decisions made by healthcare professionals every day, regardless of where they live and practice.”
For more information: www.vrad.com
November 19, 2024 
