NUCLEAR CARDIOLOGY IN HOSPITAL-BASED PRACTICE

Managed care has drastically changed the environment in which we pract ice hospital-based nuclear cardiology, As of 1995, traditional fee for service comprises only 8% of all reimbursement in the United States, Nuclear cardiology is now a cost center, not a revenue center, for the hospital. In Minnesota, many physicians and hospitals work together t oward common goals in various ''integrated health service networks,'' There are several ways in which nuclear cardiology can help a health c are network reduce costs, Results of myocardial perfusion, for example , can be used to help reduce unnecessary coronary angiography and reva scularization procedures, On the other hand, nuclear cardiology is gen erally not cost-effective in patients with a low likelihood of benefit ting from the test and should usually be avoided in such patients.