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RadRounds Radiology Network's Blog (797)

Radiology doesn’t escape far reach of healthcare reform legislation

Healthcare reform legislation signed into law last month by President Obama promises to bring sweeping changes to the healthcare system, potentially including the practice of radiology.

Signed into law were the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Together, they seek to expand access to health insurance (through subsidies, mandates, and market reforms), reduce healthcare spending (primarily through cuts to providers… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on April 9, 2010 at 7:30pm — 1 Comment

ACR Launches Breast MRI Accreditation Program

April 9, 2010 - Reston, VA ─ On May 10, 2010 the American College of Radiology (ACR) will launch its Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging Accreditation Program (BMRAP). The program was developed by the ACR Committee on Breast MRI Accreditation. Like other ACR accreditation programs, BMRAP enables facilities to improve and maintain the quality of their breast MRI services through a peer-review assessment of their processes,… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on April 9, 2010 at 9:49am — No Comments

New study questioning screening mammography’s value stirs up opposition

(DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING) -- A new study questioning the efficacy of screening mammography has stirred up an international debate with researchers from around the world challenging its scientific validity.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal, compares breast cancer death rates in screened and unscreened regions of Denmark and finds no real difference.

Written by Karsten Jorgensen and Peter Gotzsche from the Nordic Cochrane Centre in Copenhagen, the study is…

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Added by radRounds Radiology Network on April 8, 2010 at 7:30pm — No Comments

RSNA Abstract Deadline Alert

(RADROUNDS) -- Don't forget to submit your abstract for consideration for RSNA 2010. The RSNA abstract submission deadline is April 15th, 2010 at 12 noon. To submit your abstract, please visit the RSNA abstract submission system which is located at the following website: http://abstract1.rsna.org/

radRounds wishes you luck and we look forward to covering your research at this year's RSNA!

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on April 7, 2010 at 7:28pm — No Comments

Trends in imaging IT forecast changes to radiology practice

(DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING) -- Trends in radiology used to be simple and predictable. They came from within, from technologies and issues related to modalities: MR, CT, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, and radiography. Even the early adoption of PACS was modality-driven, linked inextricably with the adoption of digital x-ray.

Consumer demand for open MR broke this pattern, launching midfield as a viable clinical option. Today radiology seems primed for new developments, this time driven by the… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on April 4, 2010 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Singing Rad Techs

Check out these singing rad techs! Video below! Do you have any talents or suggest any links on YouTubes to other videos demonstrating the fine extracurricular abilities of RTs?…

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Added by radRounds Radiology Network on April 4, 2010 at 1:30pm — No Comments

Philips' novel MR technology overcomes 3T's body pitfalls

(DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING) -- Neurological and musculoskeletal imaging are spectacular at 3T, thanks to its higher signal to noise ratio compared with lower field strengths. Radiologists have long wished the same were true in the rest of the body, where dielectric shading can obscure signs of disease, as in the case of breast and liver cancers. Further limiting the clinical use of 3T has been the potential for excessive tissue heating as measured by 3T's specific absorption rate.

In… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on April 2, 2010 at 1:30pm — No Comments

MR exhibitors focus on elastography, innovative design

(DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING) -- Physicians have used palpation regularly as a diagnostic technique since the days of the ancient Greeks. Up to now, the potential value of this method has been explored in the imaging field only by ultrasound research teams, but at this year’s ECR technical exhibition, delegates can see for themselves how the same principles may be combined with MRI to improve diagnosis in patients with liver disease.

GE Healthcare is demonstrating a new application developed… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on April 1, 2010 at 5:30pm — 1 Comment

Shields MRI and Healthcare Group Transforms Medical Records - Patients can "wear" their images

Shields Health Care Group (SHCG) announced the release of a new product that will transform the way it manages certain medical information. Shields…

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Added by radRounds Radiology Network on April 1, 2010 at 12:48am — No Comments

Radiologist breaches privacy via PACS and Medical Record System

Make sure you preserve the privacy of your patients and also make sure you have the rights to someone's medical record and images. Most of all, use your own password to access PACS and medical record system. A Griffin Hospital radiologist had previously accessed patient radiology reports and images on their PACS systems using passwords of other employees and radiologists.

The radiologist is no longer working for the radiology group employed by Griffin Hospital. This…

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Added by radRounds Radiology Network on April 1, 2010 at 12:40am — No Comments

PACS vendors forge tools for distributed radiology services

(DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING) -- PACS vendors in the technical exhibition at ECR 2010 are demonstrating some of the hottest gadgets that will be filling the toolbox of tomorrow’s distributed radiology services.

Facing the intractable problem of stretching finite resources to meet an ever-growing demand, healthcare providers are increasingly seeking regional, or even national, solutions. New technologies offer the hope of being able to maintain quality of service by sharing professional… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on March 30, 2010 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Image Gently Steering Committee Members to Highlight Pediatric Imaging Concerns at FDA Public Meeting on Radiation Exposure from Medical Imaging

Image Gently Steering Committee Members to Highlight Pediatric Imaging Concerns at FDA Public Meeting on Radiation Exposure from Medical Imaging

Washington, DC – Marilyn Goske, MD, chair of the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging and Silverman Chair for Radiology Education at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center, along with several key members of the Image Gentlysm Steering Committee will highlight the unique concerns associated with the imaging of children at the U.S.… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on March 29, 2010 at 10:04am — No Comments

ACR Safety Committee and Adult Radiation Protection Chairs to Speak at FDA Public Meeting on Radiation Exposure from Medical Imaging

Washington, DC ─ E. Stephen Amis, MD, FACR, co-chair of the ACR/RSNA Joint Task Force on Adult Radiation Protection and past chair of the ACR Board of Chancellors, and Richard L. Morin, PhD, FACR, chair of the American College of Radiology Safety Committee, will represent the ACR… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on March 29, 2010 at 10:01am — No Comments

Scientists Say FDA Ignored Radiation Warnings (NYTimes)

(WASHINGTON, DC) -- According to the latest article in the NY Times covering radiology and radiation issues, this article discusses how warnings by scientists and government experts about CT scans were "ignored" by the FDA. Now there will be a two day hearing called by the FDA to discuss how patients can be protected from unnecessary radiation. There is increasing awareness and also fear of the risks of routine radiology by various physician groups and patients. To read more, please visit the… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on March 29, 2010 at 8:52am — No Comments

ACR Case in Point - Preview for Week of March 29th, 2010

http://caseinpoint.acr.org

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on March 29, 2010 at 8:09am — No Comments

Elastography advances feature prominently among ultrasound exhibits

(DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING) -- The exhibition booths occupied by vendors of ultrasound systems at ECR 2010 are likely to be very busy places throughout the congress. Difficult economic conditions are causing a dip in global demand for the more capital-intensive modalities like CT and MRI, and hospital managers are keen for their staff to explore the clinical potential of this versatile and cost-effective technology.

Delegates are eager to hear more about the latest hardware and software… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on March 28, 2010 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Osirix 3.7.1 is now available

Brief Update: The latest version of Osirix 3.7.1 is now available as of today!…

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Added by radRounds Radiology Network on March 28, 2010 at 7:18am — No Comments

Attendance at ECR 2010 rose by 5%

(DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING) -- The overall number of attendees at this year’s European Congress of Radiology was 19,017, representing an increase of nearly 5% compared with the 2009 event, according to congress organizers.

There were 11,817 professional and 7200 industry/other delegates at ECR 2010. The country breakdown for professional delegates is given below. Of the 1036 radiographers who attended, 165 came from Denmark and 117 came from Norway.

By comparison, a total of… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on March 27, 2010 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Clinical audits raise standards without assigning blame

(DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING) -- When conducting a clinical audit, you should never assess other people’s work without their knowledge. You must audit teams, not individuals, and you should be constructive and confidential. Do not assign blame, and remember that poor performance may be environment-related, not person-related.

These are the golden rules of Dr. Jane Adam, founding chair of the Audit and Standards Committee of the European Society of Radiology. She presented them during… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on March 26, 2010 at 5:30pm — No Comments

ACR Backed Amendment to Mitigate Damage to Medical Imaging Access Blocked in Senate

March 25, 2010 - Washington, DC – An American College of Radiology backed amendment was submitted by Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) on Wednesday (March 24) to strike from the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872) a provision raising the medical imaging equipment utilization rate from 50 percent to 75 percent, effective Jan. 1, 2011 for all imaging equipment priced over $1 million. Although submitted, the amendment was never offered for a vote as an agreement… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on March 25, 2010 at 8:35pm — No Comments