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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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.

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2018 Planning Guides: Recommended Reading for Modern Radiology Practices

Sponsored by vRad

Heading into the economically and politically turbulent year that 2018 is sure to be, radiology practices need all the navigational help they can get if they want to not only survive, but thrive in these uncertain times. In-depth assists are available, for free, from vRad for those dealing with staffing shortages, data security concerns, final-read demands and overall practice-performance issues. Here are descriptions and links to online resources that will help practice leaders navigate the course to becoming a high performance radiology practice.

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RSNA 2017: 5 Trends to Track in 2018

Sponsored by vRad

Look to RSNA 2017 for hints on what to prepare for in 2018 and you may take some comfort in the familiar: The profession-wide challenges and opportunities that were common across radiology over the past year aren’t clearing out to make room for entirely new concerns and changes. However, you’ll also need to reckon with the reality of ever-advancing—and in many areas, only accelerating—change.

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The value of happiness: Patients satisfied with care more likely to undergo a mammogram

Radiologists are always looking for new ways to improve screening mammography utilization among their patients. According to a new study published by Academic Radiology, one way to produce an uptick in utilization is by ensuring patients have a strong relationship with their primary care physician and are satisfied with the quality of care they receive.

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RSNA 2017: Why radiologists should start using social media

Millennials aren't the only ones becoming increasingly advanced with using social media; to the surprise of many, radiologists are also among them.

Educating radiology residents, radiographers lowers radiation dose

Educating radiology residents and radiographers about radiation exposure for one hour can reduce the dose area product (DAP) in their fluoroscopy examinations, according to a new study published in Academic Radiology.

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How Twitter can promote interventional radiology, one hashtag at a time

Twitter can benefit interventional radiology through the sharing of information and by building communities, according to a recent article in Journal of the American College of Radiology. 

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.