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November 2008 Blog Posts (124)

DRA pain lingers, but other changesshow progress for radiology practice

November 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. DRA pain lingers, but other changesshow progress for radiology practice BY JOHN C. HAYES, EDITOR Advanced imaging procedures covered by Medicare took a beating in 2007 under a congressionally mandated deficit reduction law, falling $1.7 billion, a drop of 12.7%, to $12.1 billion, according to a report from the federal General Accountability Office. The report was striking because it was the first to detail impact on imaging of the much-despised Deficit… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on November 1, 2008 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Disruptive behavior gets slammed down

November 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Vol. 30 No. 11 Disruptive behavior gets slammed down In meetings, roll eyes at your own risk or claim temporary nystagmus BY ERIC TREFELNER, M.D. I would like to end this month's Utilization Review Committee meeting by once again addressing the radiology department's failure to rein in inappropriate studies and reports without proper clinical history. The most recent audit shows that we continue to lose revenue because of denials for these cases. Dr. Lurch,… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on November 1, 2008 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Digital mammography: CR and tomo could change game

November 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Vol. 30 No. 11 Digital mammography: CR and tomo could change game Throughput, price, and spector of obsolescence muddy competitive waters Full-field digital mammography was built on solid-state technology. The first such machines, introduced eight years ago, were based on flat-panel detectors, a tradition that continued until the commercial introduction of computed radiography a few years ago. These CR-based products work with the generators, x-ray tubes,… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on November 1, 2008 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Three-T MRI enhances diagnosis of focal epilepsy

November 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Vol. 30 No. 11 Three-T MRI enhances diagnosis of focal epilepsy A recent study at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland has confirmed that 3T MR imaging improves on 1.5T MRI for detecting and characterizing struc-tural brain abnormalities in patients with focal epilepsy. Surgery can cure focal epilepsy, but only patients with a specific imaging-diagnosed structural brain abnormality are candidates for the treatment. An accurate, one-go MRI… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on November 1, 2008 at 12:00am — No Comments