Medical Imaging

Physicians utilize medical imaging to see inside the body to diagnose and treat patients. This includes computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, angiography,  and the nuclear imaging modalities of PET and SPECT. 

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Simple switches help hospital reduce excess patient visits, biopsy wait times after breast MRI

Michigan Medicine had seen breast MRI volumes climb 94% while related biopsies leapt 150%, prompting leaders to launch their quality initiative. 

liver cancer

Hospital dramatically reduces overuse of CT liver imaging with a few targeted interventions

Loma Linda University Medical Center has strengthened ties between its radiology department, hospital administration and liver transplant team to achieve its quality goals.

Key factors that lead to missed outpatient ultrasound appointments

Being part of a marginalized racial or ethnic group, along with insurance status, are significantly associated with such "imaging missed care opportunities." 

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Telerobotic ultrasound improves imaging access to underserved communities

Most examinations successfully answered clinical questions, doctors reported in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

breast radiologist breast cancer mammography

Fatigue impacts inexperienced breast radiologists’ performance, underlining importance of regular breaks

Physicians with five or fewer years of experience are more likely to order additional imaging when reading DBT exams later in the day. 

quality

Cutting CT overuse for appendicitis: 4 factors that distinguish high-performing hospitals

The role of a “radiation reduction champion," often filled by a radiologist, is pivotal to these efforts, experts wrote in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 

blood test lung cancer

Blood test helps more accurately predict which patients would benefit from CT lung cancer screening

Researchers estimate their model would pinpoint 9% additional cases for screening while also reducing unnecessary imaging referrals by 14%. 

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Radiologists don’t see eye-to-eye with other providers on fluoroscopic swallow studies

With demand for such exams forecasted to increase alongside an aging population, rads and speech language pathologists do agree that standardization is needed.

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.