The American College of Radiology (ACR) announced Tuesday that its ACR Commission on Patient- and Family-Centered Care had added a new education committee, which will work to encourage industry professionals to emphasize patient engagement, patient experience and patient satisfaction.

When managing the care of pediatric patients, both referring physicians and radiologists know to always consider the risks associated with radiation exposure. But according to a recent opinion piece published in Journal of the American College of Radiology, focusing too much on those risks and not considering other key factors can end up potentially harming the patient.

The current focus on patient-centered care and satisfaction has led imaging providers to pay close attention to wait times. Patients can forgive certain things, but making them wait too long is almost guaranteed to translate into a negative opinion about their experience, no matter what else may have happened during their visit.

Prioritizing patient comfort and satisfaction may be a hot topic among policy makers in today’s healthcare environment, but it’s nothing new for the healthcare providers who spend most of their time working directly with them. Radiology technologists like me have always known the vital role of a positive patient experience in creating clinical value for patients. In my role supervising MRI technologists at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, I’m made aware every day of the importance of providing a calming, supportive environment for our young patients and their families.

The shift from volume to value puts a premium on the patient experience. Radiologists can do their part with effective physician-patient communication, but a survey published in Radiology shows a disconnect between the values espoused by leaders and the ground-level practices of radiology departments today.

An economic analysis by a group of researchers from New York University School of Medicine found the most cost-effective osteoporosis screening strategy: start at age 55 and use five-year intervals, combining dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and quantitative CT.

I visited the great city of Chicago back in April for RBMA’s PaRADigm annual meeting. It was a terrific conference overall, but one moment in particular stands out.

The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) announced in March 2017 it was helping manage the development of a statewide radiation dose management repository, which will maintain dose data for patients receiving care from any participating hospitals.