Nuclear Cardiology Reports
The largest cause of lapses in accreditation is a result of
non-compliant reports. Non-compliant reports lead to lost reimbursement revenue. MIPPA, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, requires Nuclear Cardiology practices billing CMS/Medicare for advanced diagnostic exams to be fully accredited by an approved accreditation organization. Compliant cardiology reports are required for accreditation by CMS-approved accreditation organizations such as the Joint Commission, American College of Radiology, RadSite, and IAC Nuclear/PET (formerly known as ICANL).
The final report is often the only information healthcare providers have on which to base treatment decisions. To ensure accurate treatment decisions, highly standardized final reports are a requirement of nuclear cardiology accreditation agencies particularly IAC Nuclear/PET.
A well-performed test produced for an interpreting physician is not adequate if the results of the test are not accurately and clearly communicated in the final report. The report must mean the same thing to the interpreting physician it did to the physician who created it.
The final report must use agreed-upon standard terminology and be comprehensive, accurate and clear.
Report generating solutions, software, are available to ensure IAC & ACR compliance. Reporting software should make it virtually impossible to create a non-compliant report. Here are some key points to keep in mind:
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Report creation should be complete in fewer than 3-minutes, even for highly abnormal images.
- Reports should fit on one page
- The user interface should be simple, intuitive and uncluttered.
- Comprehensive error-checking and corrective messaging algorithms, ensuring 100% compliance are mandatory.
- The ability to include interpretation preferences preferred by multiple physicians is essential.
Structured reporting software does not need to be complicated, time-consuming or constraining for interpreting physicians. Good software should be cost-effective, easy to use, flexible and a time-saver for busy cardiologists.
Download our full article on compliant nuclear cardiology reports here.