There is no more compelling story in radiology today than the urgency with which organized radiology and imaging modality vendors have come together to address the issue of dose management in radiology. Yes, more work lies ahead, and significant challenges remain—but the swiftness and decisiveness with which providers and vendors have cooperated,

In September 2010, California Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger™ signed into law a measure mandating that radiologists include dose–length product or volume CT dose index in all reports. Such a development probably spurred many imaging service providers to begin thinking about radiation-dose–reduction initiatives, but Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center

Dose management (including dose-reduction strategies) is a dominant topic of conversation throughout the imaging world. Cross-disciplinary efforts to resolve the issue are moving to the forefront of both vendor and provider dockets, spurred on not least by quality metrics that tie reimbursement rates to patient outcomes.

Hospital medical staffs are increasingly expecting more from radiology—and small, traditional groups are struggling to keep up with those demands. That was the situation faced by Charles Rhoades, assistant administrator of clinical ancillary services at El Centro Regional Medical Center (ECRMC) in California.

Reston Radiology Consultants (Ashburn, Virginia) is a hospital-based imaging practice in business for over twenty years that includes several outpatient centers, including MRI of Reston, where four systems carry an imaging load that reaches a combined average of 24,000 studies annually. This suggests a fair amount of volume seen at that lone

The advent of advanced IT for health care has benefited the enterprise unevenly, according to Paul Chang, MD, medical director of enterprise imaging at the University of Chicago. While radiology has successfully leveraged cutting-edge IT to improve efficiency, other links in the care chain have lagged behind. “Around the world, many radiology

Across the country, radiology groups, faced with a less-than-favorable reimbursement outlook and increasing expenditures, are considering selling their practices to or entering into joint ventures with hospitals. As with any major financial decision, a detailed discussion of the pros and cons is required, and there are several factors of which

The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act made accountable-care organization (ACO) one of the most feared buzzwords since capitation, but if the concept of ACOs is framed within its larger context, which is a nationwide collaborative-care initiative with federal support, participation begins to seem less onerous.