As the healthcare environment continues to change and morph into a quality system focused on evidence-based outcomes, the nuclear medicine community continues to face external pressures, including scrutiny of patient radiation exposure, continued perception of overutilization of testing, decreasing reimbursement and fewer technologist jobs as a result of the nation’s economy. These changes in healthcare, coupled with additional external pressures, will play a significant role in molding the future of the modality. In order to remain successful in this ever-changing healthcare environment, the Technologist Section of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI-
TS) will need to focus on (1) raising awareness within the healthcare community regarding the value and benefits nuclear medicine procedures provide in patient care and treatment, and (2) ensuring technologists have the appropriate training, competence and credentials to perform these procedures in the new hybrid multimodality environment. It is also imperative that the SNMMI-TS collaborate and build relationships with all stakeholders within the community to ensure widespread acceptance and credibility.
Wi th the creation of SNMMI’s new Quality Department and Quality and Evidence Committee, SNMMI Inc. is more focused on quality measures than ever before. Quality systems focused on evidence-based patient outcomes and satisfaction are being used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) for reimbursement and education, from competency to recertification. Additionally, several states have mandated reporting of specific measures, and many other quality initiatives are being used by private payers as an efficient way to cut costs and drive down reimbursement. While the strong emphasis on quality is relatively new to most healthcare professionals, almost 12 years ago the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published the six elements every healthcare system should encompass in order to achieve high-quality patient care:
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Safe: avoiding injuries to patients from the care that is intended to help them.
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Effective: providing services based on scientific knowledge to all who could benefit, and refraining from providing services to those not likely to benefit.
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Patient-centered: providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions.
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Timely: reducing waits and sometimes harmful delays for both those who receive and those who give care.
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Efficient: avoiding waste, including waste of equipment, supplies, ideas, and energy.
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Equitable : providing care that does not vary in quality because of personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, geographic location, and socioeconomic status.
*Crossing the Quality Chasm – A New Health System for the 21 st Century. Committee on Quality of Health Care in America. Institute of
Medicine. ISBN 0-309-07280-8. [http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2001/Crossing-the-Quality-Chasm-A-New-Health-System-for-the-21st-
Century.aspx]
One of the most important areas within the healthcare field is the understanding and implementation of the transition to evidence-based outcomes and quality measures to drive high-level performance. The technologist of today must be able to demonstrate appropriate patient assessment skills, practice appropriate safety procedures with regard to staff and patients, and provide necessary patient education and instruction. In addition, the technologist must demonstrate the ability to evaluate images through performance of technical analysis, demonstrated anatomy and overall image quality. Technologists must also be able to triage and understand the disease processes being evaluated and how nuclear medicine diagnostic exams may drive care and treatment.
To address these areas of focus and ensure technologists are prepared for the many challenges they will face in the clinical setting, the Technologist Section is launching a multi-year Quality Initiative. The initiative will enhance quality through education and training; it will also raise awareness of that quality outside the profession through advocacy, leadership, public relations, outreach and colla boration. These efforts will be useful not only in arming today’s practicing technologists with the tools required to provide a high-quality patient experience but also in demonstrating the high quality and safety of nuclear medicine procedures.