The increasing use of advanced medical imaging such as MRI and CT is often cited as a key driver of increasing medical costs. Beginning in 2017, federal rules will require that decision support tools must be used before ordering any advanced diagnostic imaging study paid for by Medicare. The tools, computer-based programs that match a patient's characteristics against treatment criteria and recommend a treatment, helped increase the proportion of tests for Medicare fee-for-service patients rated as appropriate.

Source: Use of computerized clinical decisi...n inappropriate advanced imaging studies