Enhancing Value of MRI: A Call for Action

As national healthcare spending has spiraled out of control, payment reform that moves from volume to value‐based payment has been introduced as a practical solution. Under alternative value‐based payment models, physicians and clinical teams must deliver the best care possible at a lower cost. Medical imaging has changed the way we diagnose disease, evaluate severity, assess treatment effects, and provide biological insights for the pathophysiology of many diseases. Over the past 50 years, imaging techniques have become increasingly advanced—from X‐ray to computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and multi‐modal imaging. Advanced imaging such as MRI has given clinicians remarkable insights into medical conditions and saved innumerable lives. Under the value proposition, however, we must ask if each imaging study changes treatment decisions, improves patient outcomes, and is cost‐effective. Imaging research has been focused on developing new technologies and clinical applications to assess diagnostic accuracy. What is needed is the higher‐level technology assessment. In this article we review why we need to demonstrate the value of MRI, how we define value, what strategies can enhance MR value through partnership with various stakeholders, and how imaging scientists can contribute to healthcare delivery in the future.