October 28, 2008 Study evaluates stack mode viewing techniques by Douglas Page In the absence of satisfactory 3D viewers, most volumetric medical data is currently viewed as stacks of 2D slices. Yet little research has been conducted on stack mode viewing techniques. A recent study from Canada evaluated three interaction techniques for scrolling stack mode displays of volumetric data: * Two techniques used a scroll-wheel mouse. * One used only the wheel, while another used a click-and-drag…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 28, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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October 28, 2008 Obama health reform plan continues to lead in DiagnosticImaging.com survey Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's health plan continues to hold a lead over the plan put forth by Republican John McCain in a survey being conducted at DiagnosticImaging.com. As of midday Oct. 27, the survey had received 380 votes. Obama's plan was favored by 44.7% and McCain's by 42.1% of respondents, a slight gain for McCain from a week earlier. Another 6.1% favored a different plan, 5%…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 28, 2008 at 10:00pm —
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October 27, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Emergency Medical Services acquires Templeton Readings Emergency Medical Services announced that its EmCare subsidiary has acquired Templeton Readings. Founded in 2001 in suburban Baltimore by Dr. Philip A. Templeton, Templeton Readings provides final reads and teleradiology services with contracts in 31 states and agreements representing an extensive network of radiologists across the country. The transaction was completed on Oct. 17. EmCare anticipates…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 27, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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October 27, 2008 Core needle biopsy proves safe for patients taking anticoagulants Radiologists can breathe easier about the risk of patient bleeding and bruising when performing core needle breast biopsies on women who take daily anticoagulant aspirin or therapeutically-in-range warfarin, according to a new study. In the past, patients were advised to cease anticoagulation therapy for one week before undergoing core needle breast biopsy. Radiologists found, however, that stopping…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 27, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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October 24, 2008 Colonoscopy proves cost-effective for younger patients but questionable in older ones Rebekah Moan Conducting colonoscopies for people in their midfifties saves money, but screening in those older than 75 may not be beneficial, according to a government policy group. Research presented in September at the 2008 American College of Gastroenterology’s meeting showed that screening for colon cancer at age 55 would save at least two dollars for every dollar spent. …
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 24, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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October 24, 2008 Stereotaxis releases IT platform A data management platform developed by Stereotaxis for the remote viewing and recording of interventional procedures is on the market. The company, a pioneer in magnetically guided catheterization, said its Odyssey Cinema will store and replay procedures either in part or in their entirety. These playbacks will serve as a means for expanded clinical collaboration, remote consultation, and training. PerkinElmer makes Asian play Seeking to extend…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 24, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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October 23, 2008 CT's impact in diagnosing appendicitis depends on clinical likelihood Clinical experience shows that diagnostic CT reduces the incidence of negative appendectomies. Those skeptical about the application's safety, however, may find ammunition in a recent prospective study that suggests CT may be unnecessary when appendicitis is unlikely. Dr. Robert O. Nathan, an acting assistant professor of radiology at the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues assessed the impact…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 23, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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October 22, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Surf the web for your mental health Greg Freiherr Every day, I'm getting better at making tough decisions. I know this because searching the Internet stimulates the parts of my brain that control decision making and complex reasoning. Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles found this out using functional MRI on computer-savvy middle-aged and older adults while they surfed the web. I extrapolated. Much of my time during the day is spent on…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 22, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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October 22, 2008 Functional MRI establishes link between brain receptor activation and obesity Kathryn Madden, science administrator, Oregon Research Institute Using brain imaging and chocolate milkshakes, scientists have found that women with weakened "reward circuitry" in their brains are at increased risk of weight gain over time and potential obesity. The risk increases even more for women who also have a gene associated with compromised dopamine signaling in the brain. The results, drawn…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 22, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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October 21, 2008 Obama’s health plan leads McCain’s in website poll John C. Hayes Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's health plan continues to hold a lead over the plan put forth by Republican John McCain in a survey being conducted at DiagnosticImaging.com. As of Oct. 20, the survey had received 231 votes. Obama's plan was favored by 45% and McCain's by 40%. Another 6% favored a different plan, 6% favored no plan, and 3% were undecided. The survey was posted on Oct. 7 and is…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 21, 2008 at 11:00pm —
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October 20, 2008 Simple ultrasound test diagnoses deep venous thrombosis James Brice Simpler is better when it comes to ultrasound applications for detecting deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities. An Italian study found no significant difference in diagnostic power for this indication between two-point compression ultrasound plus a D-dimer exam and the more complex whole-leg compression ultrasonography. The study was published in the Oct. 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 20, 2008 at 11:00pm —
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October 17, 2008 Outsourcing is hot; don’t get burned Douglas Page Teleradiology and the outsourcing of imaging studies continue to proliferate, but that doesn't mean they are always the right answer. Questions often arise over risks and rewards related to the practice, and how those risks and rewards vary among different practice models. "Outsourcing is a topic we [radiologists] need to understand well if we are to make informed choices about the future of radiology, our practices, and our own…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 17, 2008 at 11:30pm —
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October 17, 2008 Medical de-identification system addresses health records privacy issues Douglas Page The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act safeguards patient personal health information, but it also tends to complicate medical research by inhibiting access to medical records necessary to develop public health measures. A new medical de-identification tool announced in September by researchers at the Regenstrief Institute at the University of Indiana offers a way around this…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 17, 2008 at 11:00pm —
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October 17, 2008 Medical de-identification system addresses health records privacy issues Douglas Page The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act safeguards patient personal health information, but it also tends to complicate medical research by inhibiting access to medical records necessary to develop public health measures. A new medical de-identification tool announced in September by researchers at the Regenstrief Institute at the University of Indiana offers a way around this…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 17, 2008 at 11:00pm —
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October 17, 2008 Federal legal opinion opens door to referring physician kickbacks James Brice An advisory legal opinion from the Department of Health and Human Services in favor of a specialized service to handle the processing of high-tech preauthorization requests for referring physicians has drawn a mixed response among legal and industry authorities. In a Sept. 19 report (OIG Advisory Opinion No. 08-12), the Office of Inspector General of the HHS concluded that the proposed service would…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 17, 2008 at 11:00pm —
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October 17, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Choosing next PACS gets complicated, especially where RIS is concerned Douglas Page Heated debates are not restricted to political circles. One debate currently flourishing in the imaging informatics community is whether to go with single or multiple vendors when purchasing or replacing a RIS or PACS. PACS have been around long enough that many hospitals are upgrading legacy systems to newer generations. An important consideration is whether to replace the…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 17, 2008 at 11:00pm —
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October 17, 2008 Teleradiology's financial forecast shows chance of rain Cooler climate, gusty winds ruffle industry's steady rise as reimbursement woes ripple out of hospitals and imaging centers Teleradiology's relatively smooth sail into the waters of commercial success may be in for some turbulence as prices per read drop like a barometer in a hurricane. Most of the pressure forcing rates downward comes from the perfect storm of increased competition, reduced reimbursements, commoditization…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 17, 2008 at 12:00am —
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October 17, 2008 Teleradiology answers ring of phone images A unique touchscreen iPhone-teleradiology application that allows physicians to navigate through diagnostic images from home, train, or golf cart was announced in June at the Apple user's meeting by an Ohio biomedical company. The system from MIMvista of Cleveland is called MIM. It lets radiologists and physicians retrieve digital images wirelessly on their iPhone or iPod touch, then manipulate the images with workstation functionality…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 17, 2008 at 12:00am —
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October 16, 2008 Quackery smears MR Greg Freiherr Last week the FDA posted a recall notice on its website, notifying healthcare providers that the maker of the Nebion HLX-8 Magnetic Resonance Device had made unsupported claims. The marketing folks behind this product apparently believed it possessed quasi-magical powers. From its single-pole mount several feet above floor level, this tube-like device, reminiscent of an oversized thermos bottle, had the power to treat breast, bone, lung, and…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 16, 2008 at 12:30am —
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October 16, 2008 Physicians miss opportunities to empathize with emotionally vulnerable patients Rebekah Moan An emotional connection between patients struggling with the emotional effects of a life-threatening disease and their physicians is often missing, according to a recent study of physician behavior. An evaluation of audio recordings found that physicians missed about nine of 10 opportunities to show empathy during consultations with lung cancer patients. Mammographers say their patients…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on October 16, 2008 at 12:00am —
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