This report originally appeared in the January 2011 issue of DOTmed Business News

By Jesse Fisher, CEO, Radtrac

A patient perspective
In recent years, changes in the insurance industry, such as health savings accounts, have forced patients to become active participants in the decisions made about their health care, especially when it comes to paying for diagnostic testing such as CT scans and X-rays. While many patients are doing well with addressing the challenges, some are still unaware or simply uneducated about radiation exposure, diagnostic testing and the possible negative impacts of radiation overexposure.

While overexposure to radiation can cause cancers, skin problems, cataracts and other health problems, there are currently no requirements for hospitals and health care facilities to track or monitor how much exposure to radiation patients are receiving. Although patients may have an electronic medical records (EMR) with their family physician, that does not always ensure that diagnostic tests will be reported on that record or to specialists and emergency care centers that may treat the patients.

Sometimes, tests are repeated unnecessarily or machines are calibrated incorrectly, opening patients up to the overexposure to radiation and increased medical costs associated with performing an unnecessary test. Often, patients may be unaware that they have been overexposed to radiation. Patients should seek care from facilities that implement safeguards to protect from overexposure and question why and how often diagnostic tests are performed.

A hospital perspective
Since no regulations are in place requiring hospitals and health care facilities to monitor and track radiation exposure and potential overexposure, hospitals, radiologists and other physicians face liability issues when patients are overexposed. Many times, because of the complex medical record keeping systems and the segmentation not only between different facilities but even between departments within the same hospital, medical records are not readily available and unnecessary tests are performed or repeated. For example, a patient may have been to a primary care physician for headaches and already had a CT scan but if that patient enters an emergency room complaining of severe headaches, the treating physician may order a CT scan unaware that the patient recently received the same test.

Recently in California, a class action lawsuit was filed against a medical center and GE Healthcare for overexposure to radiation. The suit was filed on behalf of more than 250 patients. As a result of this lawsuit, malpractice attorneys are now seeking patients who may have been overexposed to radiation to determine if similar cases exist. These cases could lead to millions of dollars in attorney expenses, awarded damages and other costs to facilities.

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