Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences Achieves Grade 1 in Imaging Examination Appropriateness Assessment

Proven Accuracy in Diagnosis and Patient Safety
Elevating Status as a Top-Tier Medical Institution Nationwide

On July 30, the Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences (Director Lee Changhoon) announced that it achieved the highest grade, Grade 1, with a comprehensive score of 96.8 points in the first-ever 'Imaging Examination Appropriateness Assessment' conducted by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service.

This assessment was introduced in response to issues such as unnecessary duplicate examinations leading to radiation exposure, side effects from contrast agents, and increased costs, as the use of imaging equipment such as CT, MRI, and PET has become more widespread. Its purpose is to enhance patient safety and improve the quality of examinations.

The assessment was conducted from July to September 2023, targeting medical institutions nationwide that billed for imaging examinations and possessed at least one CT, MRI, or PET device.

As a result, the Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences achieved perfect scores in all major indicators, including the rate of patient evaluation before contrast agent use, the rate of patient evaluation before MRI examinations, the rate of interpretation by nuclear medicine specialists, and the rate of implementation of quality control for PET imaging equipment.

Additionally, the rates of repeat imaging within 30 days for abdominal CT, chest CT, and brain MRI at the same institution and on the same body part were lower than both the national average and the average by institution type, demonstrating efficient diagnosis without unnecessary duplicate examinations. In particular, the rates of repeat examinations for major tests such as head CT, brain MRI, and abdominal CT among patients referred from other medical institutions were also low, which was highly evaluated for improving patient convenience and maximizing the efficiency of care.

Director Lee Changhoon stated, "Accurate diagnosis is the starting point for prompt and effective treatment. Achieving Grade 1 in this assessment is the result of our medical staff's continuous efforts to enhance patient safety and examination quality," and added, "We will continue to faithfully fulfill our role as a public medical institution that contributes to the local community by providing accurate and reliable imaging examination services."

Southeast Regional Radiation Medical Center

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.