MRI overuse and misuse really make me angry. Did you know that a growing number of doctors don’t even read the tests themselves? Another shocking aspect of this industry is that some doctors will order an MRI because it’s quicker than doing a full examination. Rushing to an MRI can oftentimes erase clinical correlation, that is, connecting the dots between pain and what the MRI shows.
MRI is unnecessarily overused. In a recent study of 221 patients who had MRIs, the results showed that only 5.9% actually needed to have an MRI done. The remaining 94.1% of the patients sacrificed their time and money. (Christopher W. DiGiovanni, M.D.) What’s worse is that the use of MRI for screening isn’t as effective as other methods.
MRI needs to be judicious and scrutinized by the physician who ordered it. It can be as dangerous as it is useful. Many patients view the MRI as a security blanket, and will go as far as requesting it. I have numerous cases of diagnostic problems that result from misuse of the MRI. More here on clinical correlation (making sure that what’s seen on MRI is in agreement with the patients problem) and the fact that any test including an MRI must be ordered to confirm a preliminary diagnosis that is already known from the history, exam, and more simple, inexpensive tests such as an x-ray. Here are a few examples…
Never Have Knee Surgery Based on an MRI Diagnosis
The Boom in M.R.I.’s: Concerns Grow on Costs and Overuse
New Thoughts on the Diagnostic Value of MRI in Foot and Ankle Surgery
If you suspect your doctor is just being quick or using MRI to reach that “aha” moment, then you’re in a bad scenario. When I order an MRI, I am 90% certain about what the results are going to show. Doctors need to have a clear-cut idea on what they can expect to see from the results. Next time you’re told to get an MRI, and your doctor has little clue to your diagnosis, you may want to get a second opinion. Also, be sure to ask the physician if they read the MRI themselves.
Nothing makes me quite as angry as the doctors who can’t or won’t read the MRI themselves.
Have you ever had an MRI? Did you question the necessity of it? Do you have a horror story?
-AO
@angryorthopod
Love the site and the logo is dead on. Lol. I couldnt agree more. One of my favorite sayings I admit I have told a patient, “I’ve never seen an MRI make someone better unless you have too much time and too much money. If that’s the case it just might work.”
I really appreciate free, succnict, reliable data like this.
I agree with Natedawg. The logo is sweet. Thanks for the links and the invite to see this site.
Personally, I feel the biggest issue with MRI utilization is cost. While sometimes MRI muddies the water regarding diagnosis, I generally think that more information is often better. Especially when dealing with an uncertain diagnosis. On the other hand, when the diagnosis obvious (e.g. classic case of PTT dysfunction), a test such is generally a waste (with some caveats).
We recently went through some issues with our son and he needed a brain MRI. I felt the MRI was of minimal value, but trusted the neurologists opinion. We got socked with an $800 bill after insurance. (granted, this includes anesthesia, he’s 5). As an orthopod, I can easily absorb that kind of cost, but many patients cannot. My biggest frustration is trying to help the working poor patients and people struggling financially in the recession. When I actually do need an MRI, after having done a thorough history, physical and XRAY exam, sometimes they just can’t afford it.
I agree 100% about visualizing the MRI, not just looking at the report. The other day, our computers all went down and I was unable to access imaging of two patients for MRI follow-up. I had to just read the report. I felt like I was walking into the room naked…I ended up telling them that I would call them on the phone after I looked at the MRI with my own eyeballs…
Finally, my other concern is conflict of interest. Our practice owns an MRI. I’m an employed doc. Two issues come up:
1. I know that I can get a great MRI, with high resolution, specific imaging sequences, and an MRI that is tailored to the pathology for which I’m looking from “our MRI tech”. For example, if I suspect a peroneal tendon split tear he will get sagittal cuts in the plane to maximalize visualization of the peroneal tendons. I don’t really have time to call the guy accross town and tell him to do this. MRIs that I see from the other places generally stink.
2. How can I know that I’m not ordering more MRIs because my practice is profiting from the test? Bottom line: I can’t. On the other hand, if I was just out to profit, I would be fixing a lot of nondisplaced weber B ankle fractures and getting “great results”. It’s my job to be as ethical as I can. I don’t need some bureaucrat telling me whether or not my practice can own an MRI when it clearly has benefits for my patients. I just wish all the other guys (those over-ordering MRIs, not examining their patients, running assembly line practices with 100 – 120 patients per clinic day, and/or not looking at the imaging) would just stop. Perhaps when the ABOS performs the licensure exam, they should be looking at issues like this…
Just my two cents.
RO
With the bases ldoaed you struck us out with that answer!
I recently injured my shoulder at work lifting too much heavy items on November 13, 2011. I went to a doctor in town, he referred me to one of his good buddies which is a Doctor, MD. The doctor twists my arm so bad that I could had cried. He orders and X-Ray on my shoulder, nothing shows up. He then wants a MRI done on my shoulder, finally after my insurance saying, “NO” he gets them to say, “YES”. I get it done, he schedules me to come in a week later so, I can get the results.
I go into the office and sit down, he looks at the MRI for 2 seconds and says, there isn’t anything wrong. Now, the pain I’m feeling 2 months later from when I injured my shoulder is still in the same kind of pain. It has not healed and it limits me to what I’m able to do as far as working goes. I’m a single mom struggling to make it by and I cannot afford to quit my job so, I have to continue hurting my shoulder more and more and I know there is something wrong with my shoulder. This doctor wouldn’t even listen to me and when I asked, if the MRI shows I’m fine then, why am I still in alot of pain. His reply, “oh, it’s probably just your rotater cuff.” Really???
Now I”m searching for a new Doctor with excellent feedback that doesn’t treat his patients like he did me.
Hi there, love the site. I was wondering if 2you different radiologists can write different reports for the same mri? I’ve had 2 on my lumbar and the first one showed a lot of damage and cord compression. For the second the Dr who ordered it only looked at the report and said I was fine. A friend actually looked at a copy of the mri and said he saw 2 herniated discs as well as a lot of other stuff I won’t bore you with. Could the Dr reading the 2nd one be wrong?
You are correct in your suspicions and both could be wrong. The only person who can really read the MRI correctly is your treating doctor who knows your story, as well has examined you. It is called clinical correlation and it is a critical part of medicine rapidly being forgotten, largely due to our (docs, etc.) increasing reliance on test like the MRI. The radiologist read is really only good for one thing. They have the ability, because they look at everything, to see the odd things I am not looking for because my focus is on the area of interest based on my exam and history. This is info the blind radiologist does not have. Get a new doc!
I can see you have been through a very hard time and I am sorry to see anyone go through that. However, It is important that you to understand I am not here to solve individual medical problems. But I can give some general advice already addressed on the AngryOrthopod blog. Please read my blog The Rescue Patient, Part One and Part Two – http://angryorthopod.com/?p=353 and http://angryorthopod.com/?p=362.