Targeting and eliminating unnecessary care has become increasingly important in radiology as the industry has dedicated more and more resources to cutting costs and improving quality. According to a new study in JAMA Internal Medicine, determining clinician characteristics associated with low-value imaging is a step toward reducing such imaging, which saves patients from receiving services they don’t need and helps keep costs down.

For a new study in the American Journal of Roentgenology, more than 1,600 patients completed a survey about their personal preferences when it comes to selecting a breast imaging center. The authors then used that data to separate patients into four distinct categories: convenience optimizers, ambivalent patients, medical center seekers and expertise seekers.

Radiology trainees who studied fine art early on in their residency saw a significant improvement in their ability to localize imaging abnormalities, according to a new study published by the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

CMS released its 2018 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule on July 13, and it included two pieces of good news for imaging facilities across the United States.

Positive leadership is the only effective way to lead a radiology department. If you’ve decided to take on a leadership position, then why not create a positive, non-threatening environment that will help increase morale, reduce turnover, increase revenues and make your department a more positive place to work? From a business perspective, it’s the only path that makes sense.

I still vividly remember the protocol for a CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis from 1993. “Give two cups of barium to drink one hour prior to scanning, two cups 30 minutes prior to scanning and one cup on the table just before scanning,” it read. “Parameters included 5-mm scans with a 1.5-mm pitch helically, from domes of the diaphragm to the iliac crest with axial images through the pelvis.” These were the notes handwritten by our chief radiologist for each and every patient requiring the protocol. There were never any shortcuts taken or shorthand used; each protocol was painstakingly written.

AHRA has announced that Jake Poore, a public speaker who specializes in helping healthcare clients provide high-quality patient experiences, will be the keynote speaker for its 2017 Virtual Fall Conference. The conference runs from Oct. 27 to Nov. 10.

There’s been a lot of talk over the years about radiology’s “image problem.” Survey after survey shows that many patients don’t fully understand what radiology is or what a radiologist does, and in a healthcare environment increasingly focused on demonstrating value, that’s certainly a reason to be alarmed. But there’s something happening right now that could help with radiology’s image problem: more radiologists are starting to run for public office.