The effect of managed care on nuclear cardiology.

The rapid growth of managed care organizations as a dominant structural model for the delivery of health and medical care has major implications for the nuclear cardiologist. Both governmental and private sector trends portend increased focus on cost containment strategies that may disrupt patient access to cardiovascular specialists and alter traditional physician referral patterns and practices. Issues include who will deliver services, where these services are made available, and how procedures and protocols are developed. The nuclear cardiologist will need to consider approaches to maintain access to patients, clinical autonomy, access to capital, as well as financial and legal risks when positioning a practice to thrive in the future.