November 2020

Google trends unearth ‘unprecedented’ decline in clinical imaging search interest
Radiologists must lead movement to ‘flatten’ the earth of medicine, RSNA president charges
Wisconsin imaging operator Smart Choice MRI goes out of business, closing handful of Midwest centers
Appeals court reinstates tossed $2.6M jury verdict against radiologist who allegedly misread breast images
Referring physicians want structured reporting while radiologists prefer free-form approach, survey finds
Emergency radiology vendor Avicenna.AI scores Medicare coverage for stroke CT assistant
Hopkins radiologists warn of unsuspected COVID-19 pneumonia during routine outpatient imaging
CMS overhauls physician self-referral regs, while doc groups say Stark Law still ‘beyond comprehension’
Ultrasound maker Butterfly Network’s $1.5B merger, Philips beats antitrust claims, plus more vendor news
Built for value-based care: How the world’s first portable MR scanner is democratizing imaging
‘Inattentional blindness’ may cause radiologists to miss obvious abnormalities in diagnostic images
Practice agrees to pay $1.4M for allegedly delivering teleradiology services from outside the US
Providers blunt skyrocketing use of CT for pulmonary embolism, but numbers still climbing
Stanford addresses controversial radiologist Scott Atlas’ ‘rise up’ comments, while others demand his firing
Patient experience, human design thinking crucial for radiologists seeking normalcy amid pandemic
Radiologists spend $14,680 on certification over a 30-year career, topping most specialties
Canon reveals ultrasound tips for COVID-19, mobile access to O-RADs, plus more vendor news
‘Dead wrong’: American College of Radiology sounds alarm over low doc engagement on high-impact issue
Artificial intelligence prioritizes radiologists’ CT work list, reducing turnaround and wait times
94% of patients at high risk for lung cancer failed to undergo LDCT screening
ACR experts advising President’s Cancer Panel on boosting breast imaging numbers post-COVID-19
Center for Diagnostic Imaging enters new market with acquisition of 8 outpatient radiology centers
Low-dose CT lung cancer screening adherence rates may be even worse than reported
Radiology can serve as a ‘force’ to steer conversation on world’s fastest growing social media app
Radiologist trainees prevail in 69% of rare malpractice cases brought against them
41% of radiologists separated from at least one practice recently, underscoring specialty’s growing mobility
UnitedHealthcare’s revised CT payment policy ‘threatens’ the patient-physician relationship, advocates warn
‘Lockdowns kill people’: Radiologist and White House COVID advisor Scott Atlas blasts colleagues
Pulmonary nodules following a lung transplant require ‘aggressive’ diagnostic evaluation, experts caution
Envision inks in-network radiology deal with Humana, Akumin’s Q3 earnings, plus more company news
Radiology among 74 medical groups pressing politicians to protect providers from ‘devastating’ pay cuts
With structured reporting, chest x-rays have high likelihood of predicting positive RT-PCR test results
Private radiology practices band together to raise $800,000 for imaging research
Having a patient’s detailed clinical history improves radiologists’ diagnostic imaging interpretation
American Medical Association releases new CPT codes to report COVID-19 vaccinations
Physicians push Congress to delay imaging Appropriate Use Criteria Program indefinitely
‘Urgent’ action needed to address widespread variation in CT use, radiation exposure among COVID patients
Radiologists must assume leading role in ultrasound governance, training, medical societies urge
Nanox reports $11M quarterly loss, GE Healthcare’s $130M new partnership, plus more vendor news
ACR wants transparency as feds work to speed up Medicare coverage for ‘breakthrough’ devices
RadNet sees ‘substantial’ rebound from pandemic woes in Q3, with sequential revenues up 53%
Mednax Radiology logs $126M in Q3 revenue ahead of closing mega deal with Rad Partners
Radiologists experience significantly less happiness, meaning in their work than docs in other departments
Standardizing chest CT reporting ups odds of early lung cancer diagnosis by nearly 25%
Preventative, elective care plummet nationwide amid pandemic, including drops in mammography, MRI
‘A big deal’: CMS pilot puts onus on ordering providers to support necessity of radiology services
Humana curtails coverage for PET/CT, drawing 'adamant' disagreement from imaging advocates
Acoustic noise reduction in MRI significantly reduces patient discomfort without hurting image quality
Radiology vendor Digirad to sell its mobile imaging business unit for $18.75M
Women still struggling to score senior radiology faculty roles, despite matching male peers’ productivity
Follow-up ultrasound ovarian imaging offers little benefit to patients, experts advise
Paltry low-dose CT lung cancer screening numbers signal need for population health strategy shift
American Board of Radiology ditching Illinois office months after inking long-term lease
Scientists look to functional MR brain imaging to understand America’s political divide
Patients’ 6 most important considerations when returning for postponed elective imaging
Private radiology practice lands $100M investment from dialysis giant Fresenius to fuel rapid growth
Physician lawmakers try new approach to shield radiology from millions in Medicare cuts
Shifting to subspecialty-based radiology reporting significantly improves turnaround time
Charges dropped after radiologist senator briefly faces arrest warrant over campaign yard signs