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.

Sustainable Growth Rate Overrides Are 'Elephant in the Room', Study Says

Nine years of congressional overrides of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) provision of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 constitute the "elephant in the room," leaving the federal government with significant budget deficit exposure, according to an analysis released by MedeAnalytics, a provider of health care performance management solutions.

Council Endorses Deficit Reduction Proposals

The Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC) earlier this week endorsed four deficit reduction proposals estimated to save $410 billion over 10 years.

Zotec, MBS Announce Merger

Zotec Partners, an Indianapolis, Indiana-based provider of medical billing, practice management, and Radiology Information Systems (RIS) software and services, have announced plans to merge with Medical Business Service, Inc. (MBS), Coral Gables, Florida.

Managed Care Prevails As States' Medicaid Health Care Delivery Method

Managed care is now the prevailing method through which states deliver health care to Medicaid beneficiaries. However, key findings of a survey released September 13 by the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KMCU) indicate that states may not have the capacity to accommodate the spike in enrollment that is

Increased CT Scans in Emergency Rooms Linked to Decreased Hospital Admissions

While the volume of CT scans administered in emergency rooms have increased dramatically in recent years, a new study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine links such an increase to fewer hospital admissions.

California Legislature Passes'Dense Breast Tissue Notification' Bill

A bill that requires health care providers to inform women when they are found to have dense breast tissue has been passed by the California State Legislature, reports sponsoring Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto). Known as Senate Bill 791 and formerly Senate Bill 173, it is being submitted to Governor Jerry Brown for consideration.

ACR to 'Supercommittee': No Imaging Cuts in Upcoming Proposals

The American College of Radiology (ACR) today sent a statement to newly appointed members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (Joint Select Committee), urging that cuts to diagnostic imaging services not be included in any upcoming legislative proposal.

Health Care Landscape On the Mend, Berwick Says

Improvements to the health care landscape are beginning to crop up despite pressure on the Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to slash funding for Medicare and other health care programs in response to poor economic conditions.

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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.