February 4, 2009 - The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) responds that the study by Jörg Hausleiter, M.D., in the Feb. 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) correctly focuses on what providers need to know to ensure that computed tomography angiography (CTA) is utilized appropriately.
Even with the collective efforts to reduce radiation exposure, it’s important to point out that CTA, when used appropriately, minimizes other risks that more invasive procedures present to patients. Moreover, peer-reviewed research proves that CTA is more cost effective than catheterization for some cardiac patients, MITA states.
MITA endorses widespread adoption of appropriateness criteria and is encouraged that leading private health systems, such as Massachusetts General Hospital and United Health Care, are currently using or piloting it to guide the proper utilization of medical imaging technology.
In addition, the alliance supports efforts to harness health information technology (IT) to reduce duplicative scans and unnecessary risk to radiation exposure and looks forward to working with all stakeholders to develop interoperable imaging exchange standards so that health IT can contribute to realizing the imaging community’s goal of reducing radiation exposure.
MITA also supports the recent recommendation of the American Heart Association that health-care providers should diligently review patient records, including those from other medical institutions, to ensure that imaging studies are not needlessly repeated.
For more information: www. medicalimaging.org
March 07, 2024 
