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. 

Thumbnail

MR imaging a ‘suitable alternative’ to CT when evaluating patients for acute appendicitis

Physicians regularly turn to CT to evaluate patients who arrive at a hospital emergency department (ED) due to acute appendicitis. According to a new study published in Radiology, the diagnostic accuracy of MR imaging compares favorably to that of CT when diagnosing acute appendicitis, meaning patients can receive the same level of care without the ionizing radiation exposure.

MITA: NEMA service standard now covers all medical devices

The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) is expanding the scope of its NEMA American National Standard for Servicing Medical Imaging Devices to cover all medical devices as opposed to just medical imaging technologies.

Thumbnail

SNMMI recommends Aetna reverse 2 PET coverage decisions

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) has issued a statement recommending Aetna reverse its decision not to cover the use of gallium Ga 68 dotatate PET or fluciclovine F18 PET for treating cancer patients.

Thumbnail

There’s no stopping 3D mammography now, but can it sustain this pace?

Seven years after the FDA approved the first tomosynthesis device for breast cancer screening, adoption rates for digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) remain on an upswing. Earlier this year the agency reported a nearly 30 percent increase of certified mammography facilities offering DBT—aka “3D mammography,” aka “tomo”—over just the past year (from 3,178 facilities in March 2017 to 4,074 in March 2018).

New database measures safety of implantable devices in MR imaging

A streamlined database detailing protocol for scanning patients with a variety of implanted devices could be changing radiologists’ efficiency and confidence for the better, according to research out of Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York.

Thumbnail

Machine learning model closely predicts patient waiting times for CT, MRI

Machine learning might be the next step in predicting patient wait times and appointment delays—factors crucial to healthcare’s quadruple aim and its emphasis on quality of care—in radiology practices, researchers have reported in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Canada notes 65% growth in MRI units across country

The same week British Columbia Health Minister Adrian Dix pledged $11 million to expand MRI usage across the Canadian province, the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) released its medical imaging inventory report for 2017, noting a 65 percent increase in MRI units in the past decade.

imagingBiz APRIL, 2018

Each day your experience in radiology guides every work-related decision you make, large and small. Do you have a few minutes to confidentially "compare notes" with your peers in practice leadership? All you need to do is take a 3-minute, absolutely anonymous survey from Radiology Business Journal. Your responses will help lift the entire profession.
To thank you for your time, we'll send you an executive briefing that will allow you to compare your experience with that of your peers and competitors. You'll also be entered to win a $250 Amazon gift card.

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.