22 Nov Minnesota to Launch State-wide Imaging Decision-support Initiative

ImagingBiz.com | November 20 – Minnesota’s groundbreaking Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI) has reached an agreement with Nuance, Burlington, Massachusetts, to license its decision-support and analytics software for a statewide electronic utilization management initiative to ensure delivery of clinically indicated high-tech diagnostic imaging. The statewide initiative builds on an earlier, successful pilot that brought high-tech imaging growth down to zero in 2007, saving the state $28 million. ImagingBiz spoke with Scott Cowsill, MBA-HCM, chair of the Imaging e-Ordering Coalition and senior product manager of diagnostic solutions, Nuance.

Beyond the savings, the pilot proved that there are other solutions besides an RBM that work. Not only do they work, but they are more user-friendly for all of the players: Providers like using clinical decision-support because it is more user-friendly: more educative, less of a barrier, and a zero-penalty approach. Payors like it because it is more streamlined and more cost-effective: It is less than what the RBMs charge them per-member, per-month. And the patients like it because now there is not a third-party intermediary between them trying to get a high-tech diagnostic imaging exam, there is no one in between the physician–patient relationship.

Read more on ImagingBiz.com.