The buzz around social media in radiology has skyrocketed in recent years, with more and more departments, private practices and specialists starting to use using the various platforms to their advantage. Of course, it’s about more than just using sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; to get the most out of these resources, one must also learn the differences between them.

Discussion about the safety of using gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) in medical imaging has increased in recent years as a result of the element being found in patients’ brains following MRIs. In a new study presented Wednesday at RSNA 2017 in Chicago, however, researchers found no evidence of harm from the gadolinium being retained.

Radiologists have been working to improve radiology reports in recent years so that they can provide more value and bring significant improvements to patient care. Monday, Nov. 27, at RSNA 2017 in Chicago, Tarik Alkasab, MD, PhD, radiology service chief of informatics and IT at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, told attendees about the many benefits of building data-enabled radiology reports for referring physicians.

One way many healthcare providers have reacted to today’s era of value-based care is by working to improve day-to-day communication between radiologists and referring physicians. Monday, Nov. 27, at RSNA 2017 in Chicago, Andrew B. Rosenkrantz, MD, MPA, of the department of radiology at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, shared a number of ways specialists at his institution are working to ensure they provide physicians with the information they need, exactly when they need it.

Temperatures are dropping and my front yard is covered in leaves, which means it’s almost time for another eventful RSNA annual meeting in Chicago. I’ve spent some with this year’s schedule and wanted to share five can’t-miss sessions.

The chair of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Board of Chancellors, James A. Brink, MD, spoke to the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Energy today in Washington, D.C. The subcommittee was there to discuss the United States Department of Energy’s funding of low-dose radiation research, and Brink told its members that such research was needed to improve patient care.

RSNA announced Thursday, Oct. 19, it is launching three new journals in 2019 to complement its current publications, Radiology and RadioGraphics.

The American College of Radiology (ACR) announced Thursday that it has updated its standards for liver cancer screening and surveillance ultrasound exams. These new changes to the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) were made to “improve communication with referring clinicians” and advance the overall quality of care being provided to patients.