We have heard the clear call: ACR Health care’s new economics requires all providers to shift from value-based to volume-based care. Radiologists need to shift their practice paradigm away from transactional to consultative, and focus on both interpretations and outcomes. Radiology professionals are reminding others that it is important to be more patient-centered.
The RSNA and ACR health have created resource-rich programs Radiology Cares and Imaging3.0(tm) to help radiologists make practical steps towards patient-centeredness. Both organizations offer online toolkits that contain all the tools radiologists need to create a modern practice that is patient-centered and high-value. (See sidebars).
Acr Health Participatory Learning’s “PERKS”
Imagine that your 6-month-old patient’s parents anxiously wait in the next room. Ultrasound images show a tumor in the son’s liver. You must now share the bad news. Now you are ready to share the bad news. As you enter the room, your parents are expecting you. These are not real parents and their son does not have a liver cancer. It’s a simulation.
There is no doubt about the importance of teaching communication and interpersonal skills to healthcare professionals. Radiology residents must have these essential skills as core ACGME competencies. Two PERCS participants wrote occupational health nurse jobs that traditional instruction via lectures and readings would “place learners in a passive manner, merely absorbing data,” in the December 2012 issue, Academic Radiology.
Preparing for PERCS-Radiology
PERCS-Radiology was a program that PERCS quickly expanded to offer radiology workshops. Many of these were presented at the RSNA annual meetings by a GE ACR healthcare/RSNA Education Scholarship Grant. Stephen D. Brown M.D. is a pediatric and obstetric radiologist at BCH. He also serves as PERCS-radiology Director. Dr. Brown realized immediately that similar programming would be beneficial to radiologists. This is especially true as initiatives to directly provide patient reports via web-based portals and direct communication are increasing in popularity.
Access ACR Health Imaging 3.0 Arsenal
Imaging 3.0 logoImaging 3.0 ™ (ACR.org/Imaging3) outlines concrete steps that will allow radiologists to play a leading role in shaping America’s future healthcare. Highlights include:
Presentations & Resources: Learn about the vision of Imaging 3.0, and find tools and methods to put it into practice.
ACOs and you: Find out about accountable care organizations (ACOs) and what they can do for your practice.
Radiology Leadership Institute ™: This track teaches ahegao members the basics of Imaging 3.0 and prepares them for evolving delivery and payment environments.