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.

Senate Bill to Stop MPPR Picks Up Four New Cosponsors

Four additional senators — two Republicans and two Democrats, have signed on to S. 623, the Diagnostic Imaging Services Access Protection Act of 2013, which seeks to stop the multiple procedure payment reduction (MPPR) policy from being applied to the professional component of imaging services

FDA Panel Examines CT Colonography Value

CT colonography is less expensive and more preferred by patients compared to traditional colonoscopy for colon cancer screening, but the question of whether it is as good a test has so far kept it out of reach for most Medicare patients. An FDA panel examined this question on Monday

New Cancer Study Supports Annual Mammograms Starting at 40

A failure analysis of more than 7,000 breast-cancer deaths published online by the journal Cancer has found that 71 percent of the confirmed breast cancer deaths occurred in the 20 percent of the study population that did not receive regular mammograms. In addition, the women who died tended to be younger than 50

MGMA Survey Finds IT Costs Rising for Practices

The promise of cost savings from health care reform and EHR implementation may still be a ways away judging by a new survey from the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)

Radiation Oncologist Accused of Stealing ACR Cancer Research Funds

According to California’s Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, Tri Minh Do, MD, embezzled $46,000 in ACR funding meant to reimburse Valley Medical Center in San Jose for prostate cancer research and used it pay personal bills

vRad Names New Chief Solutions Officer

Minneapolis-based radiology and telemedicine company Virtual Radiologic (vRad) has named David C. Trachtenberg as its new chief solutions officer. Trachtenberg will be responsible for vRad’s marketing programs, as well as product development.

Unique Device Identifier Rule Could Impact Imaging Equipment Costs

The FDA proposed rule that all medical devices distributed in the United States carry a unique device identifier (UDI) will come with a cost says one presenter at the upcoming UDI Conference 2013

Direct Radiology Plans to Fight vRad Patent Lawsuit

According to the leaders of the national teleradiology partnership Direct Radiology, LLC, the lawsuit Virtual Radiologic (vRad) and NightHawk Radiology Services filed alleging patent infringement is unfounded and meant to intimidate competitors rather than protect patent rights

Around the web

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.

The all-in-one Omni Legend PET/CT scanner is now being manufactured in a new production facility in Waukesha, Wisconsin.