Imaging joint venture contracts often neglect clinical quality protections

Radiologists negotiating imaging joint ventures should secure a volume–quality firewall, physics veto authority, a named arbiter, and pre-set thresholds like a 3% image rejection rate to protect clinical quality.

• Contracts often focus on finances and governance, with quality protections like peer review mentioned only in passing, leaving diagnostic quality at risk over time.
• A volume-quality firewall clause prevents physician compensation, scheduling, or contract renewal from being tied to imaging volume, while group-level productivity expectations remain permissible.
• Pre-set escalation thresholds (e.g., 3% image rejection rate) and a named arbiter (the radiology chair) provide clear mechanisms to resolve clinical-business disputes before they escalate.

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