This post was contributed by Geraldine B. McGinty, MD, MBA, FACR, vice chair of the American College of Radiology Board of Chancellors.
A giant upside of making radiology care more patient-centered is that patients more easily understand why the American College of Radiology takes some of the stands it does on Capitol Hill and in state houses nationwide. This is tremendous help not only to patient care, but to health care reform overall.
For instance, more than 80 patient groups and minority health care advocates stood alongside the American College of Radiology to tell CMS to abandon reimbursement cuts to low-dose CT lung cancer screening. Prominent colorectal cancer care advocacy groups recently joined the ACR in calling on Medicare to cover CT colonography.
You will hear more next week about a coalition of patient groups and minority advocates joining forces to urge Congress to extend mandatory insurance coverage for women 40 and older who want annual mammograms.
As radiologists become more visible to patients, this helps our efforts to educate lawmakers, insurers and other decision makers on how the actions they take (or don’t take) affect their constituencies. This is a significant step forward radiology and those we serve.
Why else is being more visible to patients important? What steps have you taken to work with patients or patient groups?
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