Imaging Informatics

Imaging informatics (also known as radiology informatics, a component of wider medical or healthcare informatics) includes systems to transfer images and radiology data between radiologists, referring physicians, patients and the entire enterprise. This includes picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), wider enterprise image systems, radiology information. systems (RIS), connections to share data with the electronic medical record (EMR), and software to enable advanced visualization, reporting, artificial intelligence (AI) applications, analytics, exam ordering, clinical decision support, dictation, and remote image sharing and viewing systems.

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HHS proposes rule aimed at improving patients’ electronic access to medical images

The agency believes the industry's ongoing reliance on CDs and other physical media "represents a continued burden for patients and clinicians." 

Dana H. Smetherman, MD, MPH, MBA, FACR, the new CEO of the American College of Radiology (ACR), explains some of the hot button issues in radiology and advocacy efforts led by the ACR.

New ACR CEO outlines key concerns for radiology

Dana Smetherman, MD, MBA, explains some of the hot button issues in imaging and key advocacy efforts being undertaken by the college. 

The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) is asking Congress to repeal the appropriate use software provision mandate, which physicians say is an obstacle to efficient care.

ASNC asks Congress to officially repeal the AUC mandate for advanced medical imaging

Medicare rescinded the provision in the 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, but the law remains on the books. 

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Information-blocking penalties for providers slated to take effect soon, radiology experts warn

HHS will focus on violations that harm patients, impact care delivery, occur over an extended period or cause financial losses to federal programs. 

Peter Monteleone, MD, an interventional cardiologist, national director of cardiovascular research at Ascension Health, and assistant professor, UT Austin Dell School of Medicine, explained the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to independently identify an emergency stroke or pulmonary embolism (PE) finding on a CT scan and automatically alert critical care team members. His health system uses this type of AI for earlier activation of the pulmonary embolism response team (PERT).

AI critical care software revolutionizes emergency response

Ascension Health in Texas uses AI that can read CT scans for stroke and pulmonary embolism to activate care teams before the images even get into the PACS.

EHR interventions increase lung cancer screening by 30% but still leave over half of patients behind

Although CT lung cancer screening is known to improve detection rates and health outcomes, compliance among eligible patients remains lackluster.

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Why practices might want to think twice before using ChatGPT to create patient education materials

"The potential for disseminating inaccurate information and the occurrence of 'hallucinations'—responses that are generated without grounding in factual data—are significant concerns,” authors of a new analysis warn.

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Radiology providers not responsible for breach notifications after Change cyberattack, HHS says

OCR Director Melanie Fontes Rainer emphasized that patients impacted by the incident “must be notified that their protected health information was breached.”

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After reviewing years of data from its clinic, one institution discovered that issues with implant data integrity frequently put patients at risk. 

Prior to the final proposal’s release, the American College of Radiology reached out to CMS to offer its recommendations on payment rates for five out of the six the new codes.

“Before these CPT codes there was no real acknowledgment of the additional burden borne by the providers who accepted these patients."

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