Over a recent eight-month period, children were not often called back to the ER of an academic children’s hospital in California due to discrepant radiology reports. However, the few who had to go back for a second look rang up additional charges to the tune of an average $2,289 per patient.

PET/CT with the radiotracer 18F-FDG may have met its match at cancer detection in two new “FAPI” tracers based on gallium-68. The acronym stands for fibroblast activation protein inhibitor, and in a recent trial the new tracers equaled or bettered FDG PET/CT on image quality, required no fasting and yielded images in less time than FDG PET/CT.

Family physicians as well as medical students appreciate the opportunity to bone up on radiology via online classrooms using the popular Second Life platform. And while doctors tend to immerse themselves in the process with somewhat lower intensity, all seem to readily take to radiology training with avatars and other features of the virtual world. 

Once a child’s broken arm is on the mend, little to nothing is gained by having follow-up x-rays read by both radiologists and orthopedic surgeons, according to a study conducted at Case Western Reserve University and published online March 6 in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics.

More than a few malpractice suits have been advanced on easily understood emotion over hard-to-parse scientific evidence. It’s better to be cautious now than to get caught off guard later. Here’s how to prepare.

Addressing social determinants of health improves outcomes, possibly providing a return on investment. Margins matter, but it’s a long game, often driven by a sense of mission.