Diagnostic imaging: Doing the right thing.

Mendelson, R.M. (2020), Diagnostic imaging: Doing the right thing. J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol. doi:10.1111/1754-9485.13004

Inappropriate diagnostic imaging (DI) is a burgeoning issue and embraces its overuse and its misapplication. The obverse problem is one of underuse – that is when patients who should undergo imaging fail to do so. This article attempts to define these problems, examines the causes and effects and suggests some potential solutions.

 

Inappropriate diagnostic imaging may be categorised as overuse (lack of justification), underuse or wrong choices (misapplication) of imaging. There are multiple and complex causes related to all parties responsible – referrer, provider and patient. Its detrimental effects include suboptimal use of limited resources and risks to patients without benefit. The potential solutions to the problem are also multifaceted and include education of referrers and patients, enhanced performance of radiologists in their roles as consultants and gatekeepers, availability and encouragement of the use of imaging referral guidelines (preferably with seamless integration into electronic requesting) and innovative systems of radiologists’ remuneration that depart from the fee‐for‐service model.

Full article here

 Slider photo by Govind Bhagavatheeshwaran, Daniel Reich, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health

The Health Sciences Library regularly receives new issues of the print journals in our collection.

In the table below you can see the latest print journal issues that have arrived and are now available in the library for you to access. 

Australian clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation 2018
and
Australian clinical guidelines for the management of heart failure 2018

The National Heart foundation of Australia & the Cardiac Society of ANZ have developed two clinical guidelines for to assist clinicians in caring for adult patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

The full clinical guidelines are available in the journal Heart, Lung and Circulation:  

- Australian clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation 2018 (October 2018, Volume 27, Issue 10, Pages 1209–1266): Click Here to access via: RMH, RWH, PMCC

- Australian clinical guidelines for the management of heart failure 2018 (Volume 27, Issue 10, Pages 1123–1208): Click Here to access via: RMH, RWH, PMCC

NSW Clinical Guidelines: Treatment of Opioid Dependence 2018

NSW Health has developed these guidelines that seek to provide clinical guidance and policy direction for opioid treatment in NSW.

The guidelines aim to improve access to opioid treatment by:

• Personalise patient care by introducing a system that differentiates between those who have low/moderate treatment needs and can be treated in community settings and those with complex/high treatment needs and should be referred to and treated in the specialist treatment sector
• Support more effective coordination of care across health services.

These guidelines are intended for use in generalist health settings (for example primary care, hospital, clinic or community settings) as well as specialised drug and alcohol / opioid treatment clinics.

The Guideline can be accessed at: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/aod/Pages/nsw-clinical-guidelines-opioid.aspx

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Handbook of Career Development in Academic Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

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