Reports of Cat Scans (CT) being unsafe are not new. In the early 1990’s, UK scientists have reported that CT scans have the potential of causing more harm than good. So why did America choose to ignore this world finding? I believe it is directly due to our paying system, more specifically ICD-9 and CPT codes. In order for physicians and hospitals to bill for services rendered, a list of “procedures” must be done in order to receive full payment. For instance, a patient arrives in the Emergency Dept with the chief complaint of Abdominal Pain (AP). In order to bill for an AP diagnosis, a CT scan is ordered (they have to follow the list of procedures). Unnecessary CT scans are ordered everyday just to follow these procedures. Please bear in mind; US physicians are trained today to follow these guidelines and some are refusing to follow this practice because they are aware of such radiation dangers. Inclusively, these guidelines were created by non-physicians and worse yet have little to no medical background. The question that is presented today, Is health technology improving our health outcomes? I have to say yes! In recent publication, there are more and more findings that suggest that holistic and alternative medicine and treatment that are NOT of radiation born is improving our long-term health. Alternative procedures do exist however most are not covered in insurance coverage because they are viewed as Evidence-Based medicine and not scientific findings. I, for one, am an advocate for alternative medicines. If health reform is to ever change we should begin by re-evaluating our paying system and revise our medical coding guidelines and exclude such danger procedures such as CT scans.
I agree with Julie that alternative medicine offers some less dangerous options for health care, but go unused due to the stigma associated with alternative approaches and the lack of insurance coverage. I actually spent my morning at an alternative medical clinic and it was refreshing to hear that the practitioner's goal for each patient was to achieve a complete balance within the body without off-setting or damaging other parts of the body/mind. With this approach it appears that technologically advanced procedures that may cause harmful side-effects would be ruled out. That is not to say that is always the best approach since sometimes the benefits of a CT scans, etc. may outweigh the risks. Nonetheless I feel that comparisons should be made between traditional western medicine practices and alternative practices when it comes to long term consequences. Alternative approaches could also be quite cost-effective, since expensive machinery and expensive procedures aren't really used. Since rising health care costs is one of the main problems with our health care system, it may be in our country's best interest to put more emphasis on alternative/holistic medicine, or perhaps an integration of alternative/holistic medicine with western medicine.
ReplyDeleteI believe advanced medical technology is indeed improving long-term health outcomes, but like all technology, it has its costs. CT scans have revolutionized medicine because of its noninvasive nature and precision as a diagnostic tool. But as Julie has pointed out, CT scans are being ordered without a need for them and that is putting many at risk for long-term radiation effects. I just read about the overuse of CT Scans simply because they're profitable. This is a bit disturbing since exposure to radiation can have many adverse effects. I think we need to implement more regulations and set strict criteria so CT scans and other risky diagnostic tests are only ordered when they are truly appropriate for a patient's diagnosis. It's also important to educate the patient about the risks and benefits associated with these new medical advancements, since they should ultimately assess whether the benefits of the treatment or procedure, outweigh the risks.
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