How to make health care better
The goal of good health care is to help people by giving them the right tests and treatments that they really need while also saving resources, like time and money. Hospitals and clinics should work hard to use everything they have in the best way possible.
One important part of health care is using special machines for medical imaging, such as CT scans and MRIs. These tests help doctors see what’s happening inside a patient’s body. When used correctly, these imaging tests can help doctors find out about many health problems. But if they are used the wrong way, they can be very expensive and take a long time, and they might expose patients to extra radiation that isn’t necessary.
If you are a UAB employee, you may hear us talk about this work in the Vizient Efficiency domain.
What is UAB Medicine doing to improve?
UAB Medicine is working on a new electronic tool called a clinical decision support mechanism (CDSM). This will help doctors decide when to order advanced imaging tests like CT scans and MRIs. The CDSM has the latest information about which tests are best suited for different health issues.
By using this tool, doctors at UAB Medicine can make sure that they only order these advanced imaging tests when they really need to. This helps them provide the highest quality care while also saving time and avoiding unnecessary costs.
In short, UAB Medicine is working hard to do fewer fancy medical tests that patients don’t really need.