Imaging Leaders Digital Community
Professional societies should steer medical error discussion
November 26, 2012 -- CHICAGO - Guidance from professional societies such as RSNA would go a long way in helping radiologists address medical errors, not only in facilitating the process, but also in helping to define errors in the first place, according to a Monday morning session at the RSNA annual meeting.
Advanced imaging spending drops to bottom of services list
November 26, 2012 -- CHICAGO - A decrease in volume growth and cuts to Medicare payments have left advanced medical imaging near the bottom of all healthcare service categories contributing to overall Medicare spending -- rather than at the head of the pack as policymakers continue to believe, according to research presented Monday morning at RSNA 2012.
MPI used 50 times more often than CCTA, study finds
 November 26, 2012 -- CHICAGO - Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is vastly underutilized compared to SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in patients with suspected coronary artery disease, despite their status as competitive tests, according to a study presented on Sunday at the RSNA meeting.
Make yourself more visible, RSNA president insists
 November 25, 2012 -- CHICAGO - "Step out from behind the curtain and put a face on the radiologist" was the resounding message of Sunday morning's opening session at the annual RSNA meeting. Dr. George Bisset III, RSNA president, emphasized the meeting's theme during his opening remarks and was echoed by colleagues in sessions that followed.
Study finds Medicare patients get repeat testing too often
November 20, 2012 -- Are Medicare patients getting too many repeat diagnostic tests -- including medical imaging scans? A study of nearly 750,000 patients published online November 19 in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests this is the case.
CT procedure volume falls, except for emergency use
November 19, 2012 -- After decades of rising CT utilization, U.S. doctors appear to have finally hit the pause button -- and even the reverse button -- reducing their use of CT scans in every setting except emergency radiology, according to a new study in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
Election 2012: The practice of radiology, going forward
 November 15, 2012 -- The presidential election may be over, but the potential ramifications of its outcome linger. What does radiology face in both the short and long term? AuntMinnie.com spoke to several policy-watchers on the question as radiology struggles to understand the meaning of the 2012 election.
The Profit Center: Part 26 -- Radiology and the 'me-we' cycle
 November 14, 2012 -- Society today is becoming increasingly affected by "we" think, from notions of shared sacrifice, to paying your fair share, to "giving back," says healthcare business and legal affairs expert Mark Weiss. Learn how your group should navigate today's environment in this edition of the Profit Center.
Admins hopeful about profit growth; Medicare, not so much
 November 8, 2012 -- Radiology administrators are optimistic that in the coming months their facilities will grow and operating and staff costs will remain constant. But they remain less confident about Medicare reimbursement for diagnostic and interventional imaging, according to fourth-quarter 2012 data from the Medical Imaging Confidence Index.
No good news for imaging in proposed 2013 Medicare rates
November 2, 2012 -- There isn't much to like for medical imaging in new Medicare payment rates for 2013. In a November 1 announcement, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services revealed the size of the looming payment cut under the sustainable growth rate formula, and also affirmed a raft of other payment cuts that will affect radiology.
The new radiology: It's all about information
November 2, 2012 -- As the practice of healthcare moves from a fee-for-service to a value-based reimbursement model, radiologists must highlight their most important contribution to patient care -- clinical information -- rather than focusing only on producing and interpreting images, says a commentary in the November Journal of the American College of Radiology.
GAO attacks imaging self-referral, requests pay cut for exams
November 1, 2012 -- A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) takes a hard line on physician self-referral of imaging services, detailing more than $100 million in annual unnecessary spending in CT and MRI alone. The report recommends steps to curb the practice, including a pay cut for self-referred imaging studies.
ACR institute blasts imaging payment cuts in first report
October 24, 2012 -- The first major report from the American College of Radiology's (ACR) new Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute warns of diminished patient access to diagnostic imaging and other unintended negative consequences from public policies that have slowed imaging's growth.
Election 2012: What's at stake for radiology
 October 4, 2012 -- The upcoming U.S. elections in November will significantly affect the practice of radiology, and radiologists need to understand what's at stake, according to an article published in the October issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
Patients want to hear exam results from radiologists
September 28, 2012 -- Patients prefer hearing exam results from both their general physician and their interpreting radiologist, according to a new study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. This is good news for a specialty challenged to come out of the reading room and into more daily patient contact.
Subspecialty second reads improve pediatric patient care
 September 27, 2012 -- In research that may support the case for more subspecialization in radiology, a Wisconsin team found that the rate of disagreement between interpretations of pediatric imaging studies by generalist community radiologists and specialty radiologists at tertiary care pediatric hospitals can be as high as 42%.
Study predicts cancer care costs to double by 2020
September 25, 2012 -- Cancer-related medical costs are expected to more than double in some U.S. states within eight years, according to a study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Managed Care.
Calif. governor signs breast density notification bill
September 24, 2012 -- After vetoing legislation last year, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill over the weekend that requires women in the state to be notified following a mammogram if they have dense breast tissue, according to the bill's author, Sen. Joe Simitian.
Retail venues could boost mammo screening rates
September 21, 2012 -- Offering mammography screening services at retail healthcare locations such as pharmacies could boost women's adherence to screening guidelines, according to a new study published in Academic Radiology.
Hillman: Radiology is a victim of its own success
 September 20, 2012 -- Radiology is experiencing a backlash among policymakers and other physicians that could threaten its future -- a backlash that's based in large part on its own success, said Dr. Bruce Hillman in a September 20 presentation at RADExpo 2012: The Cutting Edge of Imaging, a virtual conference from AuntMinnie.com.
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