The incentive for this practice is largely the result of rapidly declining reimbursements for what has been termed "cognitive" physician care, i.e. the time spent talking to a patient and determining what course of diagnostic testing or treatment would be best.
An example of such an exception included the American Society of Neuroimaging, which, with its formation in 1975, incited neurologists to develop interest in the newest imaging techniques of the time to help evaluate their patients in non-invasive ways.
Other specialists, such as cardiologists, neurosurgeons, and orthopedic physicians became more interested in using advanced imaging techniques as they continued to be refined and developed over the last two decades.[timeframe?]
One vendor of medical imaging equipment marketing to physicians states:Are you dissatisfied with declining reimbursement rates, escalating demands on your time and increased competition?
You can counteract these prevailing trends by capturing new revenue opportunities through providing diagnostic imaging services, such as MRI and CT, in your own office.
Other factors to consider are a faster diagnosis, less complex authorization and scheduling process, and the consolidation of medical records — all of which benefit the patient's treatment.
[5]Studies show patients benefit from IOAS through access to a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic services sooner resulting in a quicker diagnosis.
The myth that IOAS increases health care costs is perpetuated by the giant companies who own multiple clinics.
On two different occasions, the American Medical Association House of Delegates has said that medical imaging should be performed by all physicians who are trained and qualified, and not only by one specialty group such as radiology, claiming that a monopoly by a single specialty would lead to lower quality in health care segments dependent upon imaging as well as higher costs.
The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 aims to use point-of-order and point-of-service online approval systems[clarification needed] to eliminate the overutilization presented by self-referrals.