Alessandra Simmons's Blog (59)

Medical imaging has an attitude problem. This doesn’t mean that the field won’t continue to grow, Bruce Hillman, MD, professor of radiology and medical imaging and public health services, University of Virginia School of Medicine, said at ACR 2015 but intervention will be required to ensure this growth is appropriate. “There is a real bias that has developed…

The use of combined pre- and postcontrast chest CTs among radiologists dramatically decreased when associated with efficiency metrics, but the reduction in use was not as quick among nonradiologists, according to a presentation at ACR 2015, held this week in Washington, DC.

Researchers from the University of Colorado, Denver, The Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy…

Only 8 percent of academic radiology departments have Twitter accounts, and only 5 percent are active, with at least 1 tweet sent in a three month period, revealed the new study, “Enriched Audience Engagement Through Twitter: Should More Academic Radiology Departments Seize the Opportunity?” published on Journal of…

Policy makers should take into consideration that most states have made significant decreases in medical imaging costs before putting forth new policy efforts, according to a presentation at ACR 2015, held this week in Washington, DC.

Researchers from New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City, The Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute in Reston,…

Washington, DC (May 4, 2015) — Hosted by American College of Radiology at their annual conference ACR 2015™, attendees of the RFS sessions, or Resident and Fellow Section meetings, learned about the external forces affecting the profession and interacted with leadership, all while networking with peers and learning how to advance their own…

More imaging resources are needed for obese patients, particularly those with sepsis and CHF, according to a presentation at ACR 2015, held this week in Washington, DC. Researchers from Virginia and Louisiana sought to determine if there was an effect from obesity on the usage of imaging and costs. The study, which took place from…

Strategic alignment has historically been discussed in business literature and tends to focus on the integration of business strategy and information systems/technology (IS/IT). “Alignment” is said to maximize return on IT investments, achieve competitive advantage through information systems, and provide direction and flexibility for new opportunities.  Alignment has also…

There are three aspects of financial planning that are important for every young adult beginning their career: having the protection of disability and umbrella liability insurance along with appropriate estate planning. Having a serious accident or illness that results in disability is a catastrophic occurrence that can happen to anyone. Not having sufficient disability…

Throughout radiology, there’s no shortage of hand-wringing about slashed reimbursements and shrinking bottom lines. New requirements and regulations on the horizon could further endanger your balance sheet. But, according to industry experts, proactive, thorough accounting strategies and choices can help keep your group or practice afloat.

Source: UBM…

Most surgeons continue to recommend annual screening mammography for women once they have turned 40 years old, despite current USPSTF guidelines of biennial screening mammography between ages 50 and 74, according to a presentation at the American Roentgen Ray Society 2015 Annual Meeting (ARRS) in Toronto, Canada. The USPSTF released an updated draft recommendation of…

Do you know exactly how much debt you have, including medical school loans? Do you contribute the maximum to your retirement accounts each year? Do you know how much you need to retire, and do you have a plan to get there? Do you know what fees you’re paying to your financial advisor and do you understand exactly what investments you’re in? If the answers to any…

Breast cancer screening can save lives, but the economic impact of false-positive mammography results and breast cancer over-diagnosis must be discussed, according to a study published in the journal Health Affairs.…

Point-of-care examinations with pocket-size imaging devices increase diagnostic accuracy and capability of medical residents, according to a study published in the Journal of Ultrasound. Researchers from Norway investigated the potential…

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) posted their draft recommendation regarding breast cancer screening and is asking for public comment until May 18, 2015 at 8:00 PM EST. Despite pressure from breast cancer screening proponents who want the recommendations to include annual mammography screening for women starting at age 40, the USPSTF guidelines largely mirror the 2009 recommendations of biennial screening for women ages…

Breast cancer screening can save lives, but the economic impact of false-positive mammography results and breast cancer over-diagnosis must be discussed, according to a study published in the journal Health Affairs.

The over-diagnosis rate for breast cancer varies, including 22% of all breast cancer screenings in…

Steven Mendelsohn, MD, predicts that the PET/MR will become the benchmark gold standard in the next five to ten years. He calls it the “most revolutionary machine since the advent of the MRI.” The statement might be strong, but studies continue to prove that PET/MR could be a game…

Institutions may have difficulty complying with the mandatory CT dose reporting law in California because reporting processes rely on manual data entry and are unreliable, according to a study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology. Researchers…

This article is part two of a two-part series about incidental findings. Part one is available here.

When patients have an incidental finding on their emergency department (ED) imaging study, each hospital has their own policy on how to handle it. But if the…

Diagnostic Imaging's "10 Questions" series asks the same questions to a diverse group of professionals in the imaging community.

Here, they profiled Benjamin W. Strong, MD.

1. Please state your name, title and the organization you work for.

Benjamin W. Strong, MD (ABR, ABIM). I serve as Chief Medical Officer for Virtual Radiologic (vRad), where I am responsible for the practice environment for our nearly 400 physicians.I am board certified in both…

After the 2013 incident in which 3,500 CT scans and mammograms read by Ontario radiologist Ivo Szelic had to undergo review for possible errors, quality assurance processes changed…