Electronic health records and other forms of decision support technology may help drastically curb the rising cost of imaging, which are generally some of the fast growing costs in healthcare.
A recent study from insurance payors in Minnesota found that technology that helps physicians know when it is appropriate to order certain tests can save millions of dollars, according to CMIO Magazine.
The three-year study asked physicians at five different medical groups to run their imaging orders through a decision support system before going ahead with them. This showed that this saved an estimated $84 million over the course of the study.
"It started about six or seven years ago, as concern about spiking imaging costs was really growing," Elizabeth Quam, the executive director of the Center for Diagnostic Imaging Quality Institute in Minneapolis, told the news source.
She said that doctors have also gotten on board with the concept, as it helps to simplify the benefits process.
An earlier study from the California Healthcare Foundation found similar benefits to decision support technology. Additionally, the foundation reported that it has become more widely available to smaller practices.