Physician Resources
Physicians
Your time is valuable. That's why SNMMI's new "Physician-Focused" section gives you instant access to what's important. One stop. All the information.
- Practice Guidelines
- Maintenance of Certification
- Coding and Reimbursement
- Educational Offerings
- PET PROS
- Career Opportunities
Practice Guidelines
Practice guidelines help identify elements of the procedure that are most important in obtaining a high-quality examination, while simultaneously controlling costs. Use of standardized procedures will increase the applicability of clinical research among multiple institutions, in turn, increasing the value of research studies, particularly in the field of technology assessment. SNMMI offers practice guidelines in the following areas:
Maintenance of Certification
Maintenance of Certification (MOC) is a comprehensive programs to assess the ongoing competence of physician specialists and their ability to provide quality health care in six general competencies:
• Medical knowledge
• Patient care
• Interpersonal and communication skills
• Professionalism
• Practice-based learning and improvements
• System-based practice
In the past, the certification process required successful completion of an approved educational program, an unrestricted medical license as evidence of professional standing, and passing the certification examination. Now nuclear medicine professionals can no longer simply take an exam to renew a certificate; lifelong learning must be documented.
The American Board of Nuclear Medicine (ABNM) MOC program is a process designed to document that nuclear medicine physicians maintain the necessary competencies to provide quality patient care in nuclear medicine. It is now an ongoing process and will require the assessment and improvement of practice performance by nuclear medicine physicians, as well as other physician specialists who wish to be certified, and/or maintain their certification, in nuclear medicine.
Coding and Reimbursement
The most up-to-date and comprehensive source for nuclear medicine coding and reimbursement information on the web. Please note that ALL information and materials within the SNMMI Coding Corner are direct products of the SNMMI Coding and Reimbursement Working Group.
For Hospitals (APCs, IPPS) Find general coding and reimbursement information for hospitals.
For Private Practices (RBRVS) Find general coding and reimbursement information for professionals in private practices.
Coding and Reimbursement Q&A This easy to use feature contains over 100 questions and answers related to topics such as cardiac, endocrine, neurology, nuclear medicine-related drugs, oncology, PET, PET/CT, radiopharmaceuticals, and more!
Educational Programs for Physicians
SNMMI educational programs are designed to meet the professional development needs of physicians, as well as providing opportunities to satisfy continuing medical education (CME) requirements, including Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements.
CE Center
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Live Meetings
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Case Studies with DICOM Images
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eLearning Courses
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Audio Lectures with PowerPoints
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Other Activities and Resources |
PET PROS
The PET PROS program is your go-to source for print and take materials and helpful tools related to PET and PET/CT, including:
- Reporting Guidelines and Examples
- Practice Guidelines
- Patient Fact Sheets
- Educational Brochures
- Reimbursement Resources
- And More!
Referring/Interpreting Physicians: Understand the advantages and applications of PET/CT in your practice, and access helpful tools to increase the appropriate utilization of PET/CT.
Patients/Advocates: Learn about the latest PET/CT information and the major benefits it offers to patients.
Career Opportunities
Visit SNMMI's Career Center.
- April 10, 2014 —
What’s Past Is Prologue: Making The Case For PET Beta-Amyloid Imaging Coverage
In September of 2013, CMS issued its final decision memo that concluded positron emission tomography- amyloid beta (PET Aß) imaging is “not reasonable or necessary”, finding “insufficient evidence” that use of this diagnostic tool would improve health outcomes for patients with dementia or neurodegenerative disease. As such, PET Aß imaging to help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is not a covered service for Medicare beneficiaries except for those enrolled in CMS-approved clinical trials.
(SNMMI in the News) - April 10, 2014 —
PEM Shows Both High Specificity and Sensitivity for Breast Cancer
Positron emission mammography was found to have 100 sensitivity for all imaged breast tumors, according to a study being presented during the 2014 European Congress of Radiology scientific sessions.
(MI: Making a Difference) - April 7, 2014 —
Non-invasive imaging instead of repeated biopsy in active monitoring of prostate cancer
Your body's cells have two major interconnected energy sources: the lipid metabolism and the glucose metabolism. Most cancers feed themselves by metabolizing glucose, and thus can be seen in Positron Emission Topography (PET) scans that detect radiolabeled glucose. However, prostate cancers tend to use the lipid metabolism route and so cannot be imaged in this way effectively.
(MI: Making a Difference) - April 4, 2014 —
Study looks at ability of nontoxic molecules to store harmful alpha emitting radioisotopes
Researchers have discovered that microscopic "bubbles" developed at Kansas State University are safe and effective storage lockers for harmful isotopes that emit ionizing radiation for treating tumors.
(MI: Making a Difference)
Featured Resources
- Annual Reports
- Guidance
Tools, supported by evidence, to harmonize the practice of nuclear medicine using a progressive and safe approach.
- SNMMI Journals
Learn more about journals published by or sponsored by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.
- Legislative Issues
SNMMI monitors multiple federal legislative issues and provides resources including issue summaries, letters to Congress, and analysis.