Business Intelligence

Providers utilize business intelligence to monitor referral patterns and collaborate with clinicians who order their services. Such analytics tools have also been deployed in the specialty to improve productivity, track patient satisfaction and bolster quality.

Pro Medicus Sells Amira Software Platform

Pro Medicus (ASX: PME) announced that it has executed a binding letter of intent with a European-based IT company to sell the group’s Amira software platform business for €12Million (approximately A$15 million).

Westfields Hospital Honors Long-time Radiology Employee

Those thinking of honoring a long-time dedicated employee may have a hard time topping Westfields Hospital in New Richmond, Wis. It celebrated its radiology manager, Susan St. John, by naming the imaging department in her honor. She has worked at Westfield for 40 years.

Lantheus Ohio Plant Back Online

Two years after an FDA inspection ordered the closure of the Bedford, OH, plant of its partner, Ben Venue Laboratories (BVL), Lantheus Medical Imaging has the facility back up and resuming production of its DEFINITY ultrasound contrast media.

CMMI Gives Altarum $8.4M to Limit Unnecessary Imaging

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) awarded $8.4 million to the Alarum Institute, a consulting group headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI, to help limit unnecessary medical imaging in Southeast Michigan.

AMA Cites Radiation Risks, Best Practices in Slowing CT Orders

As research has demonstrated greater risks from ionizing radiation, doctors are ordering fewer imaging scans, according to a story this week from the American Medical Association (AMA).

ACHE CEO and President to Retire Next May

Thomas Dolan, PhD, president and CEO of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), plans to retire May 10, 2013, and become president emeritus, the organization announced.

UC Radiologists to Test Informatics Assist in CT Dose Reporting

Going into the weekend on which radiologists in California will be required to begin including CT dose metrics in their reports (deadline July 1, 2012), radiologists at medical centers associated with UC Davis, UCLA, and UCSF will be beta-testing the integration of Nuance’s PowerScribe 360 and the Radimetrics eXposure solution for dose reporting,

ACR Adds 5 Appropriateness Criteria Documents and Updates 39 Others

The American College of Radiology has updated 39 of its appropriateness criteria and added another five to its evidence-based guidelines for health care providers.

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The ACR hopes these changes, including the addition of diagnostic performance feedback, will help reduce the number of patients with incidental nodules lost to follow-up each year.

And it can do so with almost 100% accuracy as a first reader, according to a new large-scale analysis.

The patient, who was being cared for in the ICU, was not accompanied or monitored by nursing staff during his exam, despite being sedated.