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.

ACR Refutes British Mammogram Study

The American College of Radiology has raised concerns about a report in the British Medical Journal this month that says mammograms did more harm than good in the first 10 years of screening, even for women over the age of 50.

PET Plays Small Part in Rising Cancer Care Costs

The costs associated with diagnostic imaging are increasing faster than the cost of cancer care in the U.S., but the “contribution of imaging to cancer care costs pales in comparison to other key components such as cancer drugs,” according to a study in the latest issue of The Journal of Internal Medicine.

House GOP Drafts Fix for Looming Medicare Physician Cuts

House Republicans announced a broad-reaching bill on Friday that includes a "fix" for the mandated 27.4 percent Medicare physician reimbursement cut that will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2012, unless Congress takes action .

Northwest Radiology Network CFO Honored for Leadership

Linda Wilgus, the executive director of a network of imaging centers in Indiana, was awarded Chief Financial Officer of the year by the Indianapolis Business Journal among private companies with revenues under $100 million annually.

Atlanta Radiologist Sentenced to Prison for Falsifying Reports

A federal judge sentenced Atlanta radiologist Dr. Rajashahker Reddy to nearly five years in prison on Friday for falsifying “tens of thousands” of reports through teleradiology services to various Southeast hospitals.

Sony to Sell Radiology Display Monitors

Sony Electronics recently announced it plans to release a series of radiology display monitors early next year.

Anthem in Ohio Urges Patients to "Shop" for Diagnostic Imaging

Patients are increasingly asked to play a role in lowering the cost of medical imaging. However, without easy access to information about cost and quality, selecting the best diagnostic imaging provider is difficult if not downright impossible.

GE, Microsoft Announce Joint Venture for New Health IT Software Platform

A joint venture between GE Healthcare and Microsoft aimed at building a new software platform for health care IT could make electronic health records more useful by pulling together patient data from different systems.

Around the web

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

The nuclear imaging isotope shortage of molybdenum-99 may be over now that the sidelined reactor is restarting. ASNC's president says PET and new SPECT technologies helped cardiac imaging labs better weather the storm.

CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.