Private equity-owned practices favor fluorescein angiography in vitreoretinal imaging preferences
Vitreoretinal specialists in the United States show a strong preference for using optical coherence tomography (OCT) as the primary imaging modality in the diagnosis and management of vitreoretinal diseases, according to a study. This preference is influenced by factors such as payer type, geographic location, practice type, and the volume of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) that specialists treat.
The study examined the utilization of OCT, color fundus photography, and fluorescein angiography (FA) by vitreoretinal specialists, as documented within the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s IRIS Registry.
The findings revealed that OCT emerged as the most frequently utilized imaging modality, followed by CFP and FA. When the data was normalized, a notable surge in OCT procedures was observed among Medicare Advantage and Medicare Fee-for-Service beneficiaries, primarily in the Southern regions of the United States, and at medium to large practices. Interestingly, marginal disparities were noted in the utilization of CFP and FA across different payer types and geographic regions.
Small practices were more inclined towards utilizing CFP, while private equity-owned practices demonstrated a predilection for FA. The study also distinguished between vitreoretinal specialists treating high versus low volumes of patients with nAMD. Those handling a high volume of nAMD patients were more likely to opt for OCT compared to their counterparts dealing with lower nAMD caseloads.
Reference
Vishwakarma S, Borkar DS, LaPrise A, et al. Vitreoretinal Specialist Use of Ancillary Testing: An IRIS® Registry Analysis. Clin Ophthalmol. 2023;17:3077-3085. doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S433338. PMID: 37873056; PMCID: PMC10590590.
