Use of Medical Imaging
Our doctors will take the time to get a sufficient amount of images to make a diagnosis, but they are also wary of the problem of unnecessary or excessive imaging. It is a delicate balance - one that we take great pride in striking.
Medical Imaging is using x-rays, MRIs or CT scans to figure out the best way to treat your injury or illness. While getting an imaging study may be necessary to fully understand your condition, sometimes they are not. Currently in the United States there is a problem with using x-rays, MRIs and CT scans too much. The over use of imaging studies is one of the reasons healthcare costs so much. Our doctors will take the time to get the right information to make a diagnosis and properly treat your condition while at the same time balance what is truly needed to understand your illness or injury.
UnityPoint Health tracks this measure to ensure we are:
- Keeping you safe by exposing you to radiation as little as possible
- Following up with you when screening tests such as mammograms show a possible problem
- Avoiding the risk, stress, and cost of doing imaging tests that you may not need
How is Use of Medical Imaging used to measure quality?
These numbers give you information about how UnityPoint Health uses medical imaging tests for patients seen in doctor's offices. Patients who are in the hospital are not included in these numbers.
View UnityPoint Health Hospital Reports
Cedar Rapids
Des Moines
Dubuque
Fort Dodge
Marshalltown
Madison
Peoria
Quad Cities/Muscatine
Sioux City
Waterloo