Since 2020, the Radiology Partners (RP) Clinical Value Team has worked to advance its mission to elevate patient care and enhance value through innovation, collaboration and education.
Recently, we spoke with Dr. Krishna Nallamshetty, Chief Medical Officer at RP, about the team’s continuing efforts to enhance offerings for RP radiologists and extend valuable resources across the entire specialty.
Accelerating Best Practice Recommendations
Approximately 3,000 radiologists across RP-affiliated practices utilize RP’s Best Practice Recommendation (BPR) program. Managed by the Clinical Value Team, RP practices implementing BPRs are enabled to elevate care by reducing variability and enhancing quality by following evidence-based guidelines. “Recently, we introduced the renal lesion BPR, and it has been adopted by 44 of our practices,” Dr. Nallamshetty said. “Our team also collaborated with our revenue cycle management team to properly align the new BPR with MIPS Measure #405, which is aimed to reduce unnecessary imaging and clinical workup.” Throughout 2023, the number of radiologists participating in our BPR program grew by 67%, and the number of impacted patient exams grew by 170%. Even with this significant expansion in one year, BPR adherence still grew by 4.5%. Additionally, the adherence to appropriate follow-up for incidental thyroid nodules (ITN) has exceeded 75% for five months which would translate to a meaningful reduction in unnecessary follow-up imaging and biopsy procedures. “We believe this is one of the best adherence rates in the industry,” Dr. Nallamshetty said.
More than 2,900 RP radiologists utilize recoMD®, RP’s proprietary AI tool developed by radiologists for radiologists that increases the standardization of patient care and enhances workflow. In 2023, the Clinical Value Team partnered with RP’s Digital Innovation Services and Product Engineering team to increase overall functionality and enhance the user experience for radiologists.
Sharing clinical resources
The Clinical Value Team published its first free public clinical resource, sharing optimized radiology report templates. These report templates were based on a survey of nearly 600 referring physicians that gathered feedback and insights on radiologist reports. “The goal of creating these optimized report templates is to ensure they benefit patients and referring clinicians,” Dr. Nallamshetty said. In the first month, more than 100 individuals from across the United States downloaded our templates for use at their practices.
The team also published a second public clinical resource, this time focused on acute stroke care. This was developed by the neuroradiology national subspecialty division (NSD) advisory board, made up of subject matter experts from all over the country. “The group of practicing neuroradiologists drew from current guidelines and leveraged their own extensive expertise to produce a stroke clinical pathway,” Dr. Nallamshetty said. “This resource provides practical operational and clinical guidance for hospitals, referring physicians, radiologists and other key care team members.” Within two weeks, it garnered close to 100 downloads and earned recognition in various trade publications.
Continuing education
The Radiology Partners Research Institute (RPRI) published a manuscript in Radiology Research and Practice, focused on the pandemic’s effect on mammographic imaging volumes. Four more manuscripts are in review by various journals, and an additional 13 are being finalized for submission in 2024. RPRI also initiated two pilot clinical trials for an absorbable IVC filter and an embolic device for IR procedures within RP practices. Finally, RPRI launched the 11th RP residency program at the University of Texas at Dell Medical School (ARA), raising RP’s resident total to more than 200, with more programs starting in 2025. This commitment speaks to RP’s strong commitment to graduate medical education, as well as the quality of training and experience residents gain. In fact, 43% of these trainees choose to stay within an RP practice to begin their careers.
RP’s National Patient Safety Committee launched a project in 2023 aiming to improve patient care through expansion of peer learning programs. “Since its inception in 2019, the committee has expanded to broaden the team’s subspecialty expertise, and now, they are creating educational materials based on peer learning workflows for all RP radiologists to access,” Dr. Nallamshetty explained.
Advancing clinical value
In 2023, the Clinical Value Team launched a new clinical reference tool available to RP radiologists, where they can easily access commonly used references, grouped by subspecialty, which reduces browser searches and saves them time and energy. New resources are added regularly, and the team worked to integrate these references into the recoMD® platform.
Finally, RP’s NSDs and Clinical Value Team produce regular subspecialty-focused communications for 3000+ RP clinicians. These educational materials include local practice stories, resources and tools, clinical news, volunteer opportunities, interesting cases, peer learning and relevant recent publications.
Dr. Nallamshetty said, “Radiology is truly a team sport – and these achievements are a tribute to our scale and the work of our radiologists, APPs and support teammates.
Radiology Partners Clinical Value Team exists to elevate patient care and enhance value through innovation, collaboration and education. Radiology Partners, through its owned and affiliated practices, is a leading physician-led and physician-owned radiology practice in the U.S. Learn more about our mission, values and practice principles at RadPartners.com. For the latest news from RP, follow along on our blog and on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Interested in learning about career opportunities? Visit our careers page.
