The Purview Blog

Suppose that a patient is seeking a second opinion from a specialist in Texas for their recent cancer diagnosis. The patient resides on the East Coast of the United States and is unable or uncomfortable traveling. To properly confirm and address the diagnosis, the physician in Texas needs to see the patient's full medical history, including pathology. Unfortunately, sending the pathology report through the mail is costly and wastes valuable time, and also runs the risk of getting lost or damaged in transit. Not to mention, digital pathology slides are so large they will not fit on a DVD for sending.

When you're confronted with a complex or critical health care diagnosis, you may be scared or confused by the prognosis or treatment recommended. This is often the time patients seek another opinion. Generations ago, patients relied on their personal physicians to make all their health care related decisions. But no single physician is infallible, and most decisions are better when scrutinized by another informed source.

As a patient, when and how do you go about getting a second opinion?

While we are still reeling from the onslaught of the pandemic, it is useful to reflect on and investigate some of the occurrences that will pave the way for healthcare in the coming years. Even if it wanes with the current delivery of multiple vaccination candidates, COVID-19 has made an indelible mark on our healthcare system.

Here are ten of the most important trends that we expect to emerge or gain traction in 2021, as the veil of COVID-19 is pulled back.

While Thanksgiving may have looked different for many this year, one thing will not be canceled: #GivingTuesday. People are in need, some now more than ever. If you are looking for an opportunity to give this year, please consider donating to the Mike Shane Memorial Fund. We are shamelessly asking for donations to this charity specifically because it is close to our hearts here at Purview. 

Currently, many imaging centers are losing revenue due to the volume decrease of elective procedures, dwindling insurance reimbursement, and the general lack of traffic due to the global pandemic. This has left many imaging centers trying to stay afloat in an increasingly competitive environment. We empathize with the larger issues that imaging centers are facing right now amidst the covid-19 pandemic, and we realize that many may not have the ability to lift their heads long enough to see where there is a leak in the boat. So we thought it may be helpful to highlight some common inefficiencies and ways that they can be resolved to save time and money so that imaging centers can focus on the larger issues that the healthcare industry is currently facing.

We understand that referring physicians are the lifeblood of an imaging center’s bottom line. The inefficiencies that can affect an imaging practice the greatest will be the source of the highest volume of traffic: referring physicians. Adjusting how imaging centers and referring physicians communicate can be a simple way to make an imaging center more efficient. Many referring physicians have specific ways of doing business, but may not realize how much time and money is wasted on the outdated methods. Let’s discuss some ways that imaging centers can increase efficiency as it relates to communicating with referring physicians.