Quality

The focus of quality improvement in healthcare is to bolster performance and processes related to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Leaders in this space also ensure the proper selection of imaging exams and procedures, and monitor the safety of services, among other duties. Reimbursement programs such as the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) utilize financial incentives to improve quality. This also includes setting and maintaining care quality initiatives, such as the requirements set by the Joint Commission.

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High false-positive rate raises questions about LCS project

Researchers knew more information was needed when they saw the false-positive rate of the Veterans Health Administration lung cancer screening (LCS) demonstration project (58.2 percent) was considerably higher than the false-positive rate of the National Lung Screening Trial (26.3 percent).

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Consistent exercise linked to increased lifespan of breast cancer survivors

Regularly participating in resistance and aerobic exercise could increase the lifespan of breast cancer survivors, according to a new study published by the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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4 ways working overnight shifts can affect a radiologist’s performance

Many radiologists will experience overnight shift (ONS) work during their career, either as a resident or an attending-level physician. So how does working such hours affect a specialist’s ability to do their job?

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How are supply-side factors associated with county-level screening mammography rates?

Supply-side factors such as the number of mammography facilities and the number of breast imaging specialists are weakly associated with county-level Medicare beneficiary screening mammography rates, according to a new study published in Academic Radiology.

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Researchers find connection between peritumoral edema in breast cancer patients and disease recurrence

If preoperative MR imaging reveals the presence of peritumoral edema in a patient with invasive breast cancer, it could be a sign of disease recurrence later on, according to new research published in Radiology.

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Value-based care in action: Radiologists help high-risk individuals receive care they need

Before artificial intelligence entered the picture, the biggest topic in radiology was the industry’s ongoing shift from volume-based care to value-based care. And from time to time, I’ll notice a particular story, statement or study that reminds me of that shift—an example of radiologists going that extra mile to make a difference in the lives of their patients—and think, “now that is what people had in mind when they talked about demonstrating real value.”

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FNA-B performs better than PET-CT when imaging small pulmonary nodules

CT-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNA-Bs) have a higher sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy than PET-CT when imaging pulmonary nodules 8 mm or smaller, according to a new study published in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.

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3 lessons for providing patient-centered care through a lung cancer screening program

Screening programs give radiologists a chance to interact directly with patients, demonstrating their value to the entire healthcare enterprise. Researchers from Weill Cornell Imaging at New York-Presbyterian in New York City, for instance, implemented a CT-based lung cancer screening program at their own institution and wrote about their experience in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

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.