“This white paper reports costs associated with general radiologists vs. subspecialty radiologists and analyses are still underway,” says Norman Scarborough, M.D., author of the white paper and associate medical director of Premerus. “We now have a better understanding of the issues associated with medical errors and we are exploring potential methods to improve imaging diagnosis. Errors in diagnosis can generate a cascade of negative events affecting not only individual patients and their families, but also businesses, health plans and our society as a whole.”

The paper also describes multiple research studies regarding the rates of medical errors over the past several decades. This includes a study of intensive care unit patient autopsy results published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, in which the author asserts, “Despite the introduction of more modern diagnostic techniques and of intensive and invasive monitoring, the number of major missed clinical diagnoses has not essentially changed over the past 20 to 30 years.” (Source: Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2000;75:562-567).

The white paper concludes that with the increasing complexity of imaging procedures used in modern medical diagnosis, it is virtually impossible for individual physicians to obtain and maintain a high level of expertise in every facet of medical imaging. As a result, subspecialization in a more narrowed scope of practice is becoming inevitable. This subspecialization should provide more accurate and efficient imaging diagnoses, which will in turn, improve treatment, patient outcomes and healthcare as a whole.

About Premerus

Premerus is the industry’s first and only diagnostic management company, representing a new healthcare paradigm: the coordinated focus of resources, expertise and technology to improve the accuracy of diagnosis. Premerus is dedicated to advancing clinical accuracy through diagnostic excellence.