Teaching Physician Supervision: Medicare's Ongoing Imperative for Academic Radiologists.

OBJECTIVE. Medicare permits radiologists to bill for trainee work but only in narrowly defined circumstances and with considerable consequences for noncompliance. The purpose of this article is to introduce relevant policy rationale and definitions, review payment requirements, outline documentation and operational considerations for diagnostic and interventional radiology services, and offer practical suggestions for academic radiologists striving to optimize regulatory compliance. CONCLUSION. As academic radiology departments advance their missions of service, teaching, and scholarship, most rely on residents and fellows to support expanding clinical demands. Given the risks of technical noncompliance, institutional commitment and ongoing education regarding teaching supervision compliance are warranted.

A Primer to Understanding the Elements of Medical Malpractice.

According to a 2017 survey of 4,000 physicians across 25 different specialties in the United States, 55% of respondents report having been sued at least once, with nearly half of them having been sued multiple times. In addition, procedural specialists are far more likely to be sued. As a procedural-driven specialty, interventional radiology (IR) practitioners are subject to these statistics. While the focus of all IR practices is providing the highest quality care safely and efficiently, medical errors and complications are unavoidable. Understanding the process of medical malpractice litigation is necessary to develop strategies on how best to avoid and mitigate the hardships of the process.

The Basics of Interventional Radiology Management in a Large Radiology Group: A Bird's-Eye View.

Through nearly 6 decades of growth we have enjoyed and suffered under many different types of management structures. From these experiences we have become believers in a central committee structure that advances our agenda with hospital administrators and third-party payers. The best way to illustrate what we think is a winning solution is by describing our present management system. Herein we describe what we do and what works for our large radiology group as well as our interventional practice. Although this structure works well for our large medical group, it will likely work equally well for a smaller medical group.

Lessons learned on how to protect an interventional radiologist against malpractice claims.

Unfortunately, the risk of lawsuit is high for the interventional radiologist, especially for the one who assumes a more active clinical role in the care of patients. The importance of assuming this guardianship role in patient care is paramount to building an active referral base for reasons given in several accompanying articles in this issue. Because of added malpractice risks, it is important to fully understand the risks of this clinical role and how to protect yourself from potential lawsuits. This article discusses in depth steps, which can be taken to lessen the risk of a lawsuit, and steps to help effectively defend against a frivolous claim.