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Financial Impact of a Radiology Safety Net Program for Resolution of Clinically Necessary Follow-up Imaging
Khushboo Jhala1, Elyse A Lynch1, Sunil Eappen2
1Department of Radiology, Center for Evidence-Based Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR
|December 26, 2023
Summary
Revenue from completing recommended imaging, facilitated by a safety net (SN) program, can fund the necessary labor to improve patient safety. This IT-enabled program demonstrates financial viability for enhanced care coordination.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Radiology
- Health IT
Background:
- Health care safety net (SN) programs aim to enhance patient safety by reducing risks from missed or delayed follow-up care.
- These programs necessitate financial investment for operational resources and staffing.
- Assessing the financial sustainability of SN programs is crucial for their implementation and effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if revenue generated from clinically necessary recommendations for additional imaging (RAI) can cover the labor costs of an IT-enabled SN program.
- To evaluate the financial return on investment for implementing an SN program focused on radiology follow-up care.
- To assess the impact of SN involvement on the resolution of recommended imaging studies.
Main Methods:
- Tracking clinically necessary RAI from October 2019 to September 2021 to resolution.
- A dedicated SN team performed chart reviews and patient/provider outreach for RAI resolution.
- Estimating revenue using Current Procedural Terminology codes for completed imaging, with a focus on SN-attributed revenue.
Main Results:
- The SN program was involved in 24% of eligible RAI, generating $980,628 in attributed revenue.
- Total revenue from completed recommended imaging reached $6,116,871.
- Net SN-generated revenue was $349,768 per full-time equivalent, with cross-sectional imaging yielding higher revenue and shorter resolution times.
Conclusions:
- Revenue from completed RAI, enabled by an IT-driven SN program, can adequately fund the additional labor required for improved patient safety.
- The financial model supports the integration of SN teams to enhance care coordination in radiology.
- Achieving substantial revenue realization may take 5-6 months post-implementation.
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