The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) is the leader in quality, education, advocacy and standards in cardiovascular imaging. Digirad had the privilege of sitting down with Kathy Flood, Chief Executive Officer of ASNC, to discuss some of the new developments and initiatives they have underway.

Image Guide Registry

Officially launched in February 2016, the ImageGuide Registry is the first cardiac imaging registry in the country. The Medicare-approved registry is a collection of foundational elements that comprise a quality nuclear cardiology practice. Physicians will be able to submit data through the reporting software and then, in real time, will be able to access their profile and mark their performance against 22 quality measures.

The primary goal of the ImageGuide Registry is to provide a tool that helps to continuously improve the quality of a physician’s practice. Secondarily, it will allow physicians to participate in the Medicare PQRS programs, and beginning in 2018, the new Medicare MIPS program that will seek quality data from registries. “ASNC is working to be a solution for physicians and industry partners by ensuring they have all the support they need to succeed,” Flood said.

Educating our referring physicians

Another ASNC priority this year is the plan to educate referring physicians. With two efforts already underway, ASNC wants to communicate the value of nuclear cardiology and when it is appropriate to refer a patient. Flood said, “Our goal is to have referring physicians consider the right test for the patient. Ensuring they understand the of value of nuclear cardiac testing is important to determine when a referral is appropriate, which will help improve rates of appropriate imaging.”

ASNC is also working to develop an online resource center in conjunction with the American College of Physicians. These resources will address nuclear cardiology imaging, appropriate use, when to prescribe the test, and questions to ask patients. “This information is so important, especially with the increased scrutiny around any advanced imaging orders, not just cardiology. We want to make sure our referring colleagues are well informed to make the right decisions for patients,” said Flood.

The initiatives that ASNC is spearheading clearly demonstrate their commitment to the quality improvement, education and support of their members and the nuclear cardiology community. For more information on these efforts, other events, and educational resources, visit their website.