Frost & Sullivan recently published a white paper titled Accountable Care Calls for High-quality Imaging from Nuclear Cardiology that addresses the role payment reform is playing, and how it could potentially affect what constitutes a well-rounded modality and ultimately the best equipment for accountable care.
The paper acknowledges the introduction and planned expansion of new bundled payment structures for complete episodes of care. It also points out that cardiovascular conditions are at the forefront of the payment reform and that any imaging procedures will need to justify their contribution to the care pathway by showing value in the patient outcome.
As a result, physicians’ expectations of nuclear imaging will need to change, whether it’s at the front end or later stages of care. In part, that process will influence the physicians’ and the industry’s acceptance of what constitutes the best nuclear imaging equipment for what is considered accountable care.
Providers will need to strengthen their ability to provide early diagnoses and prognoses, more actionable guidance and risk stratification in their patient care. They’ll also need to be more accessible across the population and provide a more cost-effective solution for their services.
When Frost & Sullivan searched the market for a nuclear camera that could support the needs and satisfy the innovation demands required by the nuclear imaging industry, Digirad’s X-ACT+ was the only solution. As an added bonus, its price point and total cost of ownership were also extremely attractive features.
