Concern about growing imaging costs and widespread awareness of radiation exposure issues has drawn unwanted attention to radiology. Don’t expect that to change soon.

Given those facts, the American College of Radiology’s recent statement about an article on CT scan safety published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine outlines how ACR is trying to exert some influence over the situation by offering a solution that they’ve developed instead of waiting to see what outsiders might devise. That idea is at the core of all lobbying efforts. For example, Wall Street banks could have chosen to fight directly against finance reform, instead they quietly got busy lobbying the people crafting the law and regulations so the end result is tolerable. It happens in every government–related endeavor.

The extent to which such lobbying efforts are in general public’s broader interest or merely serve the lobbying group’s interest is a separate matter. The ACR view looks solid on that area, too. In light of reimbursement trends and utilization questions, appropriateness criteria and facility accreditation likely would drive some imaging out of physician offices and freestanding imaging facilities. In the end, that would be a net gain to radiology and possibly curb some of the unnecessary imaging.

Would be patients’ benefit or be hurt? That would be hard to measure, but my sense is that such a shift would not significantly impact patient access. Accreditation requirements could well weed out sub-standard quality imaging facilities.