More disturbing gadolinium news; nonradiologists get theirs; Mobile App Spotlight

Dear AuntMinnie Member,

Concerns are growing about the safety of gadolinium MRI contrast agents following the May 5 publication in Radiology of a new study confirming that traces of gadolinium remain in the brains of individuals who receive contrast-enhanced MRI scans.

Japanese researchers performed autopsies on five individuals who had received gadolinium-based contrast agents more than twice in their lifetimes. They found concentrations of gadolinium in this contrast group, but none in a control group of five individuals who had never received contrast.

The study confirms previous findings of gadolinium deposition in patients who received contrast-enhanced scans, but the question is whether such trace elements have any health effects. This issue is pondered by MRI safety expert Dr. Emanuel Kanal, who believes that the burden of proof is on healthcare providers to establish that MRI contrast is safe.

Read the article by clicking here, or visit our MRI Community at mri.auntminnie.com.

Nonradiologists get theirs

In other news, a new study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology has revealed that more than half of Medicare payments for medical imaging services are now going to nonradiologist physicians.

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital used a random 5% sample of 2.5 million Medicare claims in 2011 to determine the findings, in which 46% of Medicare spending on imaging went to radiologists and 54% was sent to nonradiologists.

The researchers believe that physician self-referral could be driving the trend, and they further believe that federal efforts to tamp down imaging costs by targeting radiologists could be misguided. Get the rest of the story by clicking here, or visit our Imaging Leaders Community at leaders.auntminnie.com.

Mobile App Spotlight

Finally, visit our Imaging Informatics Community for the latest in our Mobile App Spotlight series of articles on hot new smartphone apps. This time, we're profiling CT Anatomy, an iOS app that offers a cross-sectional guide to normal anatomy. Learn more about it by clicking here.