New regulations that began in January require hospitals and outpatient centers in certain Medicare quality payment programs to collect and report data summarizing the radiation doses resulting from the computed tomography (CT) scans they deliver. The rule is meant to improve patient safety by tracking the wide variation in radiation exposure—the doses can vary by an order of magnitude of tenfold or more. According to Kaiser Health News, providers must comply with data reporting rules over a phased-in 3-year period with financial penalties for noncompliance beginning in 2027. Some industry groups, including the American College of Radiology, initially balked at the regulations, citing the cost of collecting data and reporting it as well as the new administrative burdens. Safety organizations are proponents of the reporting requirement, believing it might reduce unnecessary radiation exposure for patients while still advocating for the use of CT scans as diagnostic tools.
No reason to hesitate on referrals: For urgent care clinicians, it’s important to note the risks associated with radiation exposure from CT scans are relatively low, but a 2007 study in European Radiology suggested that CT doses could be reduced by 50% or more without reducing diagnostic accuracy. About 93 million CT scans are performed every year in the United States.