MOH AWG Recommendations
MOH Appropriateness Working Group Recommendations Announced Today
See the attached MOH announcement from the Appropriateness Working Group (AWG) that impacts two aspects of DI services used by referring physicians.
More restrictive use of imaging for sinus indications and where it is deemed appropriate, CT is indicated to be the more appropriate modality versus general x-ray.
A new MOH program is being established to create specialised clinics for chronic hip and knee pain to improve arthritic care. This proposal is seen to reduce the need for CT and MRI scans as well as surgical consultations although the announcement provided no evidence to back up this MOH claim. The MOH erroneously believes that this central planning approach will suddenly improve patient care access when it has failed in so many other quarters in health care delivery. The MOH remains silent about how this development will download increased travel to patients to access one of these facilities rather than getting the same care locally. The MOH statement misleadingly indicates it will lead to greater CT and MRI access for Ontario patients while failing to recognise the already very long wait lists for MRI across the province due to the lack of operating funding and a sufficient number of approved scanners. MOH has suggested this will lead to lower radiation exposure which, of course, does not apply to MRI.
The OAR recommends that radiologists wait for further information to be released that may shed further light on these latest developments.