We strive to provide the finest scientifically-supported radiology consultation process possible; to deliver consultation as quickly as possible with the least infringement on your workflow; and to provide complete transparency as to the rationale for all consultations.

In a nutshell, here is how the process works:

• The Industry's Best Call Center. In a radiology network served by NIA, the process typically begins with a call to our customer service Call Center, which is fast, friendly, and backed by the consultative experience of expert radiologists. Click here for more on NIA's Call Center process.
  
  
• Proprietary Evidence-Based Algorithms. The most advanced clinical guideline algorithms in the industry and NIA's proprietary Informa software support our fast, accurate consultation process. The Informa software enables Call Center staff to provide a quick yes/no answer to the physician's imaging order by collecting a minimum of information about the patient and his or her condition.
  
  
• NIA's Imaging Database is the Largest Anywhere. Our proprietary algorithms are developed and updated using NIA's imaging database and with reference to the latest medical literature. The algorithms are regularly reviewed and approved by local Imaging Advisory Committees, health plan Chief Medical Officers, and local medical societies.
  
  
• Expert Consultation by Board-Certified Radiologists. The best radiology professionals in medicine handle those cases that require further judgment on a peer-to-peer consultative basis. Through this process, nothing gets denied or an alternative recommended without peer-to-peer consultation.
  
  
• Clinical Guidelines. NIA also publishes up-to-date written clinical guidelines covering the common reasons for requesting imaging studies. These guidelines have been developed from practice experience, literature reviews, specialty criteria sets, and empirical data. Click here for the latest guidelines in PDF format.
  
  
• Development of High-Quality Radiology Networks. NIA's radiology quality assessment and network development program is fair, transparent, and based on scientific research. Its goal is to ensure access by ordering physicians and their patients to inclusive panels of high-quality imaging centers. The service offers recommendations for redesigning each client's radiology network to maximize efficiency, while promoting appropriate utilization and redirecting to higher quality, lower costing facilities.
  
  
• Physician Education. NIA provides doctors with education and continual feedback on their ordering patterns. We combine data from the prior-consultation process and claims payment history to present individual physicians with a confidential view of their practice patterns relative to the community and to a segmented peer group based on their clinical specialties. These data are used to educate ordering physicians and allow the plan to modify its prior-consultation program based on actual results. Physicians whose ordering patterns are consistently clinically appropriate may achieve "Gold Card" status, allowing them to be exempt from future consultation requirements.
  
  
• Local Community Involvement. NIA establishes Local Imaging Advisory Councils in each of its markets. They are used to inspire active debate and discussion about the most appropriate use of diagnostic imaging technologies in the local community and to achieve community buyin.
  
  
• Informed by the Latest Medical Science. All NIA utilization algorithms, guidelines, physician feedback, and local community involvement are informed by the latest scientific research.