Are structured radiology reports failing physicians?

Downstream costs associated with incidental pulmonary nodules are higher when ordering physicians do not adhere to radiologist recommendations or industry guidelines, according to a new study published in Academic Radiology. This gives radiologists yet another opportunity to provide additional value and help cut costs.

Overburdened imaging departments and staff shortages are compromising the efficiency—and communicative abilities—of U.S. radiologists, one clinician wrote in the Journal of Radiology Nursing this month. But radiology nurses might be undervalued as resources in the fight to ensure quality care.

Structured radiology reports are becoming more common, allowing radiologists to work quickly and document key coding and billing information. But according to a recent commentary published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, today’s radiology reports are increasingly unhelpful.

Early-stage breast cancer survivors treated with whole breast irradiation (WBI) are at a greater risk of developing a secondary cancer than patients treated with accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI), according to a new study published in Radiotherapy and Oncology.

A large-scale study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published this week in JAMA Internal Medicine found mailing fecal immunochemical test (FIT) kits to socioeconomically underserved patients at risk for colorectal cancer (CRC) led to a nearly 4 percent increase in CRC screening. 

Administrators at Australia’s Canberra Hospital were warned radiology trainees were working unsupervised for more than a year before their program accreditation rating dropped from an “A” to a “D” this summer, the Canberra Times has reported.

The Superior Court of Pennsylvania has denied a radiologist’s request for a new trial over an ongoing dispute with a former employer.

Despite the excitement over a new blood test for brain injury, radiology has a long future as a key player in the war against sports concussions.