National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Imaging Efficiency: A Consensus Report 

Outpatient imaging is a critical component of today’s healthcare delivery system, with important applications in establishing diagnoses, prognosis, and monitoring therapy. Despite the benefits of imaging technology, recent reports from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) point to the need for caution as we witness immense growth in the volume and intensity of imaging services. Research from the GAO’s 2008 Annual Report state within Medicare alone, expenditures for imaging services more than doubled from 2000 to 2006. Further, the number of imaging services provided varied substantially across the country, signaling the potential presence of overuse. In 2011, NQF endorsed seven measures related to the appropriateness and efficiency of outpatient imaging services.