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Re: OB: Keepsake ultrasoundsFrom: Brickster0@aol.comSat Apr 17 03:08:12 2004
Garry I highly recommend against the "keep sake" sonogram. As you know I've had 3D/4D sono machines in my office for 5 years. And yes, my ad in the yellow pages has a 3D picture. We get calls daily to perform keepsake sonograms and we refuse. My newest GE730D machine actually came with a plate attached to the front reading "FOR DIAGNOSTIC PURPOSES ONLY." The AIUM specifically frowns upon it, even if ACOG is neutral. I seem to recall from an early post that you contract with an outside firm to do your sono's, and essentially you both would be profiting from the keepsake sono's. I'm all about the bottom line and trying to squeeze every income stream available. I routinely do a 12, 20, and 32 week scan on my OB pts. (an article in last year's Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine shows the benefit of the 32 scan) I don't charge for the 32 wk scan. (this doesn't affect my bottom line because I do the scan and thus don't pay a tech or an outside contractor, and thus there is no cost). The insurance companies will not pay. The 32 week scan is where you get the "pretty pictures." Here's the important part for running your practice. To get these pictures the fetus must be facing the probe, have a fluid space in front of the face and have nothing else (hands, cord, etc.) in front of the face. This only occurs 1:3 to 1:5 times. If I don't get a pretty picture for my patients I don't care. I tell them "the baby is measuring fine, the fluid is normal, and I don't see any other anomalies that are frequently not seen at 20 wks such as duodenal atresia and hypoplastic left heart." Your patients will complain to you "I paid YOU extra money (by the way that may violate all your managed care contracts) and I didn't get the picture I wanted." Here in the Atlanta market the most profitable procedure done by an OB/GYN on a per minute basis is circumcision. We don't have time for Mrs. Smith to complain to us for 10minutes that they didn't get the picture they wanted. Brick Bills MD Alpharetta GA
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