Refer Wisely

Helping primary care providers make better use of myocardial perfusion imaging

Refer Wisely™ is a joint initiative of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology and the American College of Physicians to provide education regarding the Appropriate Use of Diagnostic Imaging with a specific focus on the appropriate use of myocardial perfusion imaging.

The goal of the Refer Wisely program is to assist physicians in making wise referral decisions. The educational outreach involves both live and online programs, developed by a Steering Committee, to address the clinical challenges facing referring physicians in making an appropriate testing decision for patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease and will serve as a resource for decision it’s role in providing value.

Appropriate Use Poster

Management and Testing of Ischemic Heart Disease
Developed by Dr. David Winchester and edited by Dr. Andria Medina

This easy-to-use reference on the Appropriate Use Criteria in the management and testing of ischemic heart disease is available for download (poster sized 11 x 17”). Translations available in Mandarin and Spanish.

Video Series

Introduction to Appropriate Use
Drs. David Wolinsky and Larry Phillips discuss the value of testing and what the test should accomplish. The role of cardiac testing in today’s healthcare environment is changing and primary care physicians need a firm understanding how diagnostic imaging impacts patient management. Understanding the evolution of Appropriate Use Criteria and the need for incorporating these concepts into clinical practice is an important part of providing effective patient care.

PAMA (Protecting Access to Medicare Act)
Drs. David Winchester and Rami Doukky discuss the development of Appropriate Use Criteria and their impact on ordering advanced imaging studies (nuclear, cardiac CT and cardiac MR). The discussants also explore the impact of the PAMA mandate to adopt AUC for Medicare reimbursement and the role that AUC may play in other quality payment programs, such as MACRA.

Appropriate Use of Myocardial Perfusion Imaging in Women
This focuses on how to choose the appropriate diagnostic cardiac imaging test in women, differentiate symptoms of ischemic heart disease in women versus men, and apply appropriate use criteria and imaging guidelines for nuclear cardiology studies.

Case Compendium

The Refer Wisely Case Compendium is a series of common clinical scenarios that referring physicians face in their practice when deciding on appropriate diagnostic testing in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease. Each case is presented by a nuclear cardiologist and an internal medicine specialist to ensure the content is appropriate to helping referring physicians choose the right test for their patients.

Case discussions focus on patient-centered evaluation:

• What questions need to be answered?
• What tests will provide the answers?
• What is a proper treatment plan based on test results?