2022-07-13 08:47:03 - 16

ABCDI: 20 years strengthening diagnostic imaging clinics

The Brazilian Association of Diagnostic Imaging Clinics (ABCDI) completed 20 years in April in defense of strengthening the sector. It has been operating for two decades with a series of achievements in the constant search for improving the quality of diagnostic imaging services and in defending the interests of its associates in negotiations with the various actors in the segment, as well as regulatory bodies, legislators and inspectors.

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Linked to the Brazilian College of Radiology and Image Diagnosis (CBR), ABCDI has consolidated itself as a strong and active entity. “ABCDI's achievements in these 20 years have been several. First its creation, it left the paper to become a real association. From the moment it was created, through previous administrations, it began to seek to organize and create value for the clinics. Bringing quality and value”, evaluates the director of ABCDI, Luís Ronan Souza (MG).

“And how can you do that, bring quality and value? By empowering clinic owners and their administrators. Either by getting closer to Cade (Administrative Council for Economic Defense), or by issues related to Seals of Quality or Padi, or through management courses, to bring light to clinic owners about what is happening in the health market, how how the health market currently behaves and what tools they have to survive this 'jungle', the constant changes”, explains Ronan.

'Teaching to fish'

Management courses have been ABCDI's focus since the beginning of its trajectory. “It is a way of strengthening and empowering the clinic's managing radiologist. It's 'teaching how to fish,'” emphasizes the director of the association. Currently, courses are offered Clinic Management, divided into modules; and the newly released Clinical Engineering, which is short-lived, online, with free spaces for members, and brings recommendations to optimize the use and reduce the high cost of equipment maintenance. In all, classes are given by professionals with extensive experience in the market.

Other advantages offered to members are Administrative Assistance, Legal Library and a series of discounts through partnerships with companies in the areas of equipment and supplies, with easy payment.

On the institution's website, the ABCDI studio It brings together videos with guidelines and case studies on key topics for the sector, such as Glosses, Technical Responsibility and The Health Market in Radiology, among others. Radar ABCDI gathers the main news related to clinics and is sent by email to members.

In the judicial sphere, a relevant recent achievement was the definitive victory, obtained in 2021, in a Collective Writ of Mandamus that discussed the calculation basis for the payment of PIS and COFINS on the importation of medical equipment. As a result, thousands of clinics were able to recover overpaid amounts, around 3% of the price of each equipment imported between 2004 and 2013, corrected by the Selic rate.

ABCDI participates in actions with the National Supplementary Health Agency (ANS), National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) and other bodies, always defending the interests of associated clinics and radiologists.

Value creation

Ronan points out that another important factor for ABCDI's growth was "understanding itself as a representative entity of small and medium-sized clinics". In this context, partnerships began to be created that guarantee discounts to members; and actions on the issue of Professional Defense. “Including a channel for listening to the user, in which he brings his issue and you are the spokesperson to take this to the Professional Defense and return it to him, whether problems with contrast supply companies, or with companies of radiological equipment, that is, with health plans”, explains the director of ABCDI.

Among the goals for the coming years are to make the recently launched ABCDI Guide biennial, with the aim of bringing the association closer to the clinics; offer new courses, both with existing partnerships and with new partnerships, including international ones; build indicators that can help in the management of clinics; and expand the number of members. “But not by imposition, by creating a value. That the clinics look for us, understand the value of the association”, defends Ronan.

The association currently brings together more than 220 clinics throughout the country and the number of members is constantly growing. After all, more and more clinic managers are aware that together we are stronger and go further.

History of the Brazilian Association of Diagnostic Imaging Clinics

The creation of a CBR department dedicated to Diagnostic Imaging clinics and services as a legal entity began to be articulated during the National Forum for Professional Mobilization and Defense, organized by CBR in the early 2000s. On October 13, 2001, during General Assembly held at the XXX Brazilian Congress of Radiology, in Curitiba (PR), the Brazilian Association of Diagnostic Imaging Clinics (ABCDI) was formed.

The ABCDI was made official on April 26, 2002, through a statutory reform of the CBR also approved in the General Assembly, this time during the Jornada Paulista de Radiologia. The first director of ABCDI was radiologist Romeu Cortês Domingues (RJ).

Benefits offered to members:

- Legal and Economic Advice;

- Discount on the Clinic Management course and free admission on the Clinical Engineering course;

- Discounts on the Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Program (PADI) and on the CBR Quality Seals Program;

- Discounts at several partner companies in the areas of equipment and supplies

* Article published in issue 399 of the CBR Bulletin, May 2022

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