Radiology-specific objectives and measures should be incorporated into Meaningful Use requirements, stipulates a position paper approved by the Radiology Business Management Association (RBMA) at its June board meeting in New Orleans.

The American Medical Association (AMA) has voted to continue its policy of supporting individual responsibility for health insurance with assistance for those who cannot afford it.

According to Medicalis, a provider of information-driven clinical and workflow solutions, part of the problem in curbing overutilization of diagnostic imaging is that ordering physicians often lack easy access to the right forms of decision support. The San Francisco-based company aims to solve this using a new cloud computing product called the

Royal Philips Electronics announced yesterday that it has acquired AllParts Medical, a privately owned, Nashville, Tenn.-based provider of imaging equipment parts and training. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Efforts by the Center For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to discourage health care providers from exposing patients to excess radiation have not been entirely effective. While the agency last year provided hospitals with statistics intended to encourage efficient, safer practices, hundreds of hospitals nationwide continue to perform two CT

Imaging providers may see fewer requests for imaging services to senior citizens if the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has its way. The influential advisory group is urging that physicians who order too many MRIs, CT scans, nuclear medicine studies, and other imaging tests be required to obtain pre-approval from Medicare.

Virtual Radiologic (vRad), a technology-enabled national radiology practice based in Eden Prairie, Minn, and the Radiology Business Management Association (RBMA) will team up to provide RBMA members with additional educational opportunities, including six $1,500 scholarships to RBMA members who have not yet attended an RBMA conference.

Radiologists are clearly getting the shorter end of the stick on the compensation front. Salaries are on a decline, according to the “Physician Compensation and Production Survey: 2011 Report Based on 2010 Data” survey released by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA).