The American College of Radiology (ACR) Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute has released a new study that found that radiologists are getting more involved in central venous interventional procedures.
Published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, the study found a "major shift in practice" at U.S. hospitals regarding central venous procedures. Traditionally the domain of surgeons and anesthesiologists, central venous procedures are being performed in significantly larger numbers by radiologists.
The authors examined Medicare claims data from 1992 to 2011 for procedures involving central venous catheters and long-term central venous medical devices. They found that the number of long-term central venous device insertions increased by 313% over that period.
At one time, radiologists were responsible for less than 1% of all long-term central venous devices, according to the researchers, but they now place more than 48% of tunneled catheters and 27% of all medication ports. Among all hospital settings, radiology departments are placing three of every four peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs).
The implications of the study are profound, the authors noted. While radiology groups are being displaced from hospital relationships because administrators think they can outsource their radiology needs, the data indicate that radiologists are being relied upon with increasing frequency for central venous procedures, according to lead author Dr. Richard Duszak, CEO of the Neiman Institute.
