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December 2008 Blog Posts (159)

New Medicare fee schedule raises rates, limits reforms

December 31, 2008 New Medicare fee schedule raises rates, limits reforms By James Brice Medicare's outpatient imaging program has issued a New Year's greeting in the form of rules in the 2009 Physician Fee Schedule that raise professional reimbursement rates, expand the discount for contiguous body part imaging to more applications, and introduce anti-markup rules that are far less harsh than those originally proposed. A 1.1% across-the-board professional rate increase kicks in on Jan. 1. The… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on December 31, 2008 at 12:30pm — No Comments

Minolta Konica Autopilot Revolutionizes CR by Automating Image Processing

In the first week of December, 94th Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), Konica Minolta highlighted the image pilot CR system with autopilot image processing. AutoPilot is a self evident, innovative technique that optimizes image quality to great effect. Now you don’t have to define and select image processing parameters for each body part and orientation. ImagePilot technology is user friendly and virtually requires no maintenance.

Steve Eisner,… Continue

Added by Jennifer Larson on December 30, 2008 at 1:30pm — No Comments

Gymnastic complaints extend beyond common growth plate injuries

December 30, 2008 Gymnastic complaints extend beyond common growth plate injuries By Christiana Schmitz Adolescent gymnasts are developing a wider variety of arm, wrist, and hand injuries than previously described in gymnast-related medical literature. Of the 125 patients evaluated in a study presented at the 2008 RSNA meeting, researchers isolated the MRIs of 12 gymnasts aged 12 to 16. The images revealed a pattern of injury that spanned far beyond the growth plate injuries commonly associated… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on December 30, 2008 at 12:30pm — No Comments

Architecture for Radiology Company gets a new project in Radiology field

radRounds (NEW YORK) -- Architecture for Radiology is a construction company, customarily works in the field of Radiology only. Globally it’s the only architecture company which focuses wholly on various radiology designs, plans, blueprints and construction work. It has now been selected to plan a new women’s radiology center in Westchester Country, New York, United States.

The new women’s radiology center task contains various women’s center modalities containing the plans/designs… Continue

Added by Jennifer Larson on December 29, 2008 at 1:30pm — No Comments

Welcome to a Better way

December 29, 2008 Welcome to a Better way YOU CAN RUN A HAPPIER, MORE EFFECTIVE OFFICE. LET’S GET STARTED. By Pamela L. Moore Pamela L. Moore is the editorial director of Physicians Practice. She can be reached at pmoore@physicianspractice.com. Do you want to be satisfied with your practice and work life? Of course you do. But many physicians, sadly, are not as happy with their professional lives as they have a right to be. For instance, when Merritt Hawkins, a physician-recruiting firm, last… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on December 29, 2008 at 1:00pm — No Comments

CT use alone fails to increase costs of hospital stay

December 29, 2008 CT use alone fails to increase costs of hospital stay By Rebekah Moan Increased use of CT to image pneumonia is unlikely to be the sole cause of increased hospital costs for pneumonia patients, according to a study from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. In the study, presented at the 2008 RSNA meeting, Michael Lu, Ph.D., a research fellow at Brigham and Women's, and colleagues retrospectively examined 1064 patients with a primary diagnosis of pneumonia from 1999 to 2006.… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on December 29, 2008 at 12:30pm — No Comments

Obama and Radiology -What will the Future bring?

Diagnostic Imaging recently published an article entitled "Radiology finds reassurance on sunny side of change" - Click here to read more.

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on December 28, 2008 at 9:00am — 1 Comment

Royal Philips Electronics Innovations to help radiologists

Philips showcased its two new innovations at the 94th annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) which was held in Chicago. These two new innovations will help radiologists to save time and improve patient diagnosis.

The first is closed loop imaging for scanning suite, which will be working with University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC). However this closed loop imaging is in trail phase. The imaging loop actually starts with doctor giving order for imaging… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on December 25, 2008 at 10:30am — No Comments

Radiation dose awareness leads to more pediatric referrals for ultrasound and MRI

December 24, 2008 Radiation dose awareness leads to more pediatric referrals for ultrasound and MRI By H.A. Abella Efforts to raise awareness about the associated risks of CT-based radiation exposure and the need to keep children from receiving unnecessary scans seem to be achieving traction among healthcare providers, according to a study by Ohio researchers. Their findings suggest that such increased awareness may make referring physicians less likely to order imaging that involves ionizing… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on December 24, 2008 at 1:00pm — No Comments

Latest Interventional Radiology Discussion Applied To Explode Blood Clots in Legs

radRounds (NEW YORK) -- ATTRACT is the largest and foremost step of national trail of catheter (in curing deep vein thrombosis i.e. DVT) which is done through consumption of clot-dissolving drugs along with clot elimination tools to avoid Post-Thrombotic Syndrome (PTS) in patients with DVT (i.e. development of blood clots in the leg veins). Pivotal National Trail (PNT) is wide-ranging permanent impediment of DVT causing irreversible damages to leg veins, resulting into incapacitating persistent… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on December 24, 2008 at 10:00am — No Comments

Women at high risk for breast cancer benefit from both mammography, MRI

December 23, 2008 Women at high risk for breast cancer benefit from both mammography, MRI By Rebekah Moan Alternating MRI with mammography every six months picks up breast cancers not identified by mammography alone for women at high risk, according to research out of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Dr. Huong Le-Petross, an assistant professor of radiology at M.D. Anderson, and colleagues presented the findings of their retrospective chart review at the 31st… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on December 23, 2008 at 1:00pm — No Comments

Editorial - Poor medical students! "That is why they choose high paying specialties like radiology" -- NYTimes

radRounds (NEW YORK) -- According to the New York Times and a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine, almost 25% of all U.S. medical students graduate from medical school with over $200,000 in debt. We all knew medical school was quite expensive and it isn't getting cheaper. That is no wonder many medical students now choose specialties that can assist in paying off their exorbitant medical school debt.

The article continues to state that medical school can cost up to… Continue

Added by Jennifer Larson on December 22, 2008 at 11:30pm — No Comments

Europe faces further Mo-99 supply woes

December 22, 2008 Europe faces further Mo-99 supply woes By Paula Gould The production of molybdenum-99 at the High Flux Reactor in Petten, the Netherlands, is unlikely to restart in February 2009 as had been planned, according to the facility's operators, the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group. The HFR, one of two main sources of Mo-99 in Europe, has been out of action since mid-August when gas bubbles were found escaping into the reactor's cooling system. The cause of the leak was… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on December 22, 2008 at 1:00pm — No Comments

Telerays Founder Dr. Daniel Roubein - Exclusive Feature Interview

radRounds (NEW YORK) -- This month, we have a very special feature interview and Q&A with radiologist-entrepreneur-innovator, Dr. Daniel Roubein of a new teleradiology startup company, Telerays. Many of you will likely have heard of Telerays by now -- Telerays is an auction-based teleradiology provider. Telerays "is an expansion of the teleradiology model Dr. Daniel Roubein built as CEO of Radiology Reading… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on December 21, 2008 at 7:30am — No Comments

Special Holiday Membership Drive Promotion: Win an iPod Nano!

For chance to win an iPod Nano, refer 5 of your colleagues to radRounds. If they join, you are eligible for this special holiday promotion.

To participate, click here to invite now! (Expires January 2, 2009) (Note: While supplies last and US citizens only please due to federal… Continue

Added by Jennifer Larson on December 21, 2008 at 1:30am — No Comments

Radiology on Primetime TV show, CSI - 3D imaging technology by Dr Anders Persson

radRounds (NEW YORK) -- When we think of the 3D imaging, one of the most important things that come to our minds is Radiology, the branch of medical science that is widely known as the fastest developing and cutting edge of healthcare. Much research is being conducted in radiology and medical imaging sciences. This radiology research work is leading to development of many new medical imaging tools such as the latest in MR, CT, and ultrasound which are now producing more accurate and reliable… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on December 20, 2008 at 5:30pm — No Comments

VRC - Virtual Radiologic Corporation expands Board

radRounds (NEW YORK) -- Virtual Radiologic Corporation– a leader in Teleradiology services providing in American has formally announced the appointment of its new board of director – Mr. H. Roche.

Virtual Radiology Corporation offers Teleradioloy solutions to medical and radiology practicing centers. It provides services through out the world, including in the United States. It is based upon principle of Joint Commission. It has 600 clients all over the world and is providing medical… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on December 19, 2008 at 5:41pm — No Comments

Incidental finding on MRI points to multiple sclerosis

December 19, 2008 Incidental finding on MRI points to multiple sclerosis Based on a news release from the journal Neurology An incidental finding of multiple sclerosis-type lesions during brain MRI is no fluke. A new study has found that some patients develop the physical symptoms of the disease within five years of the abnormalities' discovery on MRI. The study, published in the Dec. 10 online issue of Neurology, involved 44 people who had brain scans for various reasons, such as migraine… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on December 19, 2008 at 3:00pm — No Comments

Desmoteplase trial disappoints despite novel use of imaging

December 18, 2008 Desmoteplase trial disappoints despite novel use of imaging Coverage based on a press release from Lancet Neurology Despite encouraging earlier results, the much-awaited follow-up phase III DIAS-2 trial did not show any improvement in clinical response at 90 days for ischemic stroke patients who were given either of two doses of desmoteplase up to nine hours after the onset of symptoms of stroke compared with those who were given placebo. The clot-busting drug tissue… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on December 18, 2008 at 3:00pm — No Comments

FYI - OsiriX Team will be organizing an OsiriX course in London

The OsiriX Team will organize an OsiriX Course in London:

- Feb 20 or 21st : it's a one day course, available on Feb 20 or Feb 21.

- Apple Executive Briefing Center : The Executive Briefing Center is located on One Hanover
Street, around the corner from Apple's Retail Store on Regent Street, in the heart of London's
West End.

The registration form, course planning & price will be soon available on the OsiriX web site.

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on December 18, 2008 at 10:30am — No Comments