National Electrical Manufacturers Association Release: New Website Offers Unique Resource On The Value Of Medical Imaging

ROSSLYN, Va., April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- A unique new website on medical imaging -- called MedicalImaging.org -- goes online today, providing an evidence-based view of the clinical and economic benefits of medical imaging. The site draws upon peer-reviewed literature and other documentation to highlight the ability of medical diagnostic and therapeutic imaging technologies in detecting disease early, enabling minimally invasive therapies, ensuring quality and patient safety, and fostering efficiencies in our health care system.

While medical imaging is often criticized as a driver of health care costs, its economic value in keeping workers productive and adding new efficiencies to the delivery of health services is often overlooked.

"Medical diagnostic and therapeutic imaging -- which makes much of modern health care possible -- adds enormous clinical and economic value to patients and society. In addition, medical imaging is introducing new savings to health care providers through the productivity-enhancing power of digital and information technology systems," says Robert Britain, vice president of Medical Product for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, which sponsors the site.

  The site documents, for example, that:

  * Medical imaging eliminates about half the unnecessary surgeries for lung

    cancer.

  * Image-guided breast biopsies cost a third of what surgical biopsies do
    and take half the amount of time.

  * The primary drug therapy for stroke victims would not be possible
    without medical imaging; the same is true for the primary therapy for
    clogged coronary arteries.

  * Employers often judge the value of physician groups and HMOs based, in
    part, on their performance in medical imaging testing.

  * The RAND Corporation has reported that many applications of medical
    imaging are significantly underused -- threatening the quality of care.

The content of MedicalImaging.org is based on the findings of studies in leading medical journals, as well as on reports from private industry, think- tanks, and government agencies, both in the US and abroad. Intended to provide visitors with an easy reference to the original studies, all sources are documented and in many cases are hyper-linked so that readers can quickly access the original documents. The site's "Latest News" section highlights current findings relating to health policy topics.

National Electrical Manufacturers Association

CONTACT: Mary Plock, +1-703-516-7383, maryplock@polidais.com, forNational Electrical Manufacturers Association

Web site: http://www.medicalimaging.org/