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ACR In-Service Exam: February 5th, 2009

2009 ACR In Training Exams are coming up soon! Diagnostic Radiology Exam is scheduled for Thursday February 5, 2009.

For past year exams or other resources and information, please visit the ACR Resident and Fellow Section Website here.

http://rfs.acr.org/

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on January 25, 2009 at 12:00am — No Comments

CMS begins coverage analysis of Cardiac Imaging MR Studies

CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) has started the review and analysis of the imaging appropriatness of flow analysis and mapping in cardiac MR studies. Cardiac MR studies are typically used to evaluate function including cardiac valves and intracardiac shunts.

"The CMS has determined that blood flow measurement, imaging of cortical bone and calcifications, and procedures involving spatial resolution of bone and calcifications, are not considered reasonable and… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on January 23, 2009 at 12:06am — No Comments

Taking our finger off the trigger

January 22, 2009 Diagnostic Imaging. Taking our finger off the trigger By Greg Freiherr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We've entered the earnings season, and companies have begun a refrain of woe about a growing hesitancy among hospital administrators to spend money, about gathering headwinds in global currency markets, about tough times. No question about it, times are tough. And they could get tougher. Now more than ever, we need strong… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on January 22, 2009 at 8:00pm — No Comments

FDA warns against lidocaine for relieving mammography-related pain

January 21, 2009 Diagnostic Imaging. FDA warns against lidocaine for relieving mammography-related pain By James Brice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The FDA has issued an advisory warning physicians and patients about potential health risks from topical anesthetic lidocaine used to reduce the discomfort of mammography. The potential value of lidocaine was the subject of a study published in the September 2008 issue of Radiology… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on January 21, 2009 at 8:00pm — No Comments

Congress report predicts blitz of reimbursement cuts

January 21, 2009 Diagnostic Imaging. Congress report predicts blitz of reimbursement cuts By H.A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The American College of Radiology plans to fight proposals in the Congressional Budget Office's latest report on possible cost-cutting policies affecting medical imaging. College policy experts fear the report may represent the starting point for future payment cuts. The CBO report, Budget Options Volume I:… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on January 21, 2009 at 8:00pm — No Comments

High-volume production of Mo-99 appears feasible with low-grade uranium

January 20, 2009 High-volume production of Mo-99 appears feasible with low-grade uranium By James Brice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A National Research Council panel has concluded that commercial volumes of molybdenum-99 can be produced cost-effectively with low-enriched uranium. Mo-99 is the precursor of technetium-99m, a radioisotope used in most nuclear imaging procedures. The finding establishes a framework for weaning manufacturers of… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on January 20, 2009 at 8:30pm — No Comments

GE Healthcare to cut jobs in recession

radRounds (NEW YORK) -- GE Medical Systems, one of the more successful divisions of GE is beginning a cost cutting program that unfortunately will involve job cuts. The medical systems and bioscience division of General Electric Co. began a cost-cutting program a month ago approximately. According to company spokesperson, John McKaig, GE Healthcare, which has a global work force of 47,000, will see worldwide staff reductions of "low to mid-single digits in terms of percentage… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on January 19, 2009 at 11:41am — No Comments

Virtual Radiologic Ranked Top Teleradiology Services Provider in 2008 KLAS Report

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan 8, 2009 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- KLAS, a leading independent research firm focused on the healthcare industry, has ranked Virtual Radiologic Corp. the Category Leader in the Teleradiology Services category in its 2008 "Top 20 Best in KLAS Awards" report.

"We are proud to achieve the Category Leader ranking from KLAS, particularly since the ranking measures performance based on customer surveys and interviews," said Sean Casey, chief executive officer of Virtual… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on January 17, 2009 at 10:26pm — No Comments

3T MRI vies with arthroscopy for detection of wrist ligament tears

January 16, 2009 3T MRI vies with arthroscopy for detection of wrist ligament tears By H.A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Researchers at a private diagnostic imaging center in central Florida have shown 3T MRI of the wrist is nearly as sensitive and specific as arthroscopy for detection of wrist ligament tears. MR could spot abnormalities missed by standard imaging tests and avoid needless surgeries, according to the investigators.… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on January 16, 2009 at 8:30pm — No Comments

Imaging centers agree to $1.2 million settlement in MRI antikickback suit

January 15, 2009 Imaging centers agree to $1.2 million settlement in MRI antikickback suit By James Brice Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has reached a $1.2 million settlement with a group of 14 Illinois radiology centers that allegedly paid illegal kickbacks to doctors in exchange for referrals. The settlement, entered in court on Wednesday, resulted from a lawsuit brought by the attorney general in 2007 after Chicago-area outpatient MRI services challenged the practice of referring… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on January 15, 2009 at 5:00pm — No Comments

Population-based study finds digital mammography equal to film

January 14, 2009 Population-based study finds digital mammography equal to film By Rebekah Moan Digital mammography is at least as good as screen-film mammography for detecting breast cancer, according to a population-based screening program study presented at the RSNA meeting by Irish researchers. Dr. Niamh Hambly of the department of radiology at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin and colleagues retrospectively reviewed the performance of full-field digital mammography for… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on January 14, 2009 at 5:00pm — No Comments

Uninsured minorities should gain from Obama-style healthcare reform

January 13, 2009 Uninsured minorities should gain from Obama-style healthcare reform By H.A. Abella A recent study suggests that by lowering access barriers to mammography, the Obama administration could help combat the tendency of uninsured minority women to delay seeking diagnosis for breast cancer. Delayed diagnosis translates into delayed treatment and a poorer prognosis for many women. The study's investigative team was led by Dr. Cherie M. Kuzmiak, an assistant professor of radiology at… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on January 13, 2009 at 5:30pm — No Comments

One way to help stop the dying

January 13, 2009 One way to help stop the dying By Greg Freiherr Last year he was the 94th richest man in the world. Last week Adolf Merckle stepped in front of a train near his home in Blaubeuren, Germany. The suicide note he left behind has not been made public, but Merckle's family said in a statement that "the distress to his firms caused by the financial crisis and the related uncertainties of recent weeks, along with the helplessness of no longer being able to act, broke the passionate… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on January 13, 2009 at 5:00pm — No Comments

EUFORA (European Forum for Radiologists) Returns! Inviting all radiologists.

Recently a new group called EUFORA (European Forum for Radiologists) was launched on radRounds. Administrator of the list is Dr. Erik Ranschaert, who is happy to be able to relaunch the original Eufora mailing list that he had to stop in 2001. At the time Eufora was one of the largest mailing lists for radiologists, counting more than 400 members from all over the world. Many interesting discussions… Continue

Added by Steven Chan MD on January 13, 2009 at 1:00pm — 1 Comment

Study faults regulators for relying on ‘reference man’ radiation dose standard

January 12, 2009 Study faults regulators for relying on ‘reference man’ radiation dose standard By James Brice A study from the Institute for Energy and Environment Research indicates that U.S. radiation exposure regulations and compliance assessment guidelines often underestimate the risk of radiation for women and children because they are based on standards of a "reference man," a hypothetical 20- to 30-year-old white male. At least three federal agencies -- the Environmental Protection… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on January 12, 2009 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Research News: Imaging utilization in the management of appendicitis and its impact on hospital charges

radRounds (BOSTON) -- Otero, et al, at the Department of Radiology at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston has recently published a study evaluating the trends in imaging utilization in adults with diagnosis of appendicitis and the role that imaging plays in the escalating appendicitis hospital charges. His research has demonstrated that imaging utilization has increased rapidly, but trends show a slowdown that might correspond with achievement of standardization.… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on January 10, 2009 at 7:00pm — No Comments

Digital mammography interpretation takes longer than film reading

January 9, 2009 Digital mammography interpretation takes longer than film reading By H.A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston have confirmed what mammographers have long suspected: Digital screening mammograms may take twice as long to read than film. Understanding all variables could boost or make up for interpretation speed. According to the FDA's Center for… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on January 9, 2009 at 3:00am — No Comments

Digital mammography interpretation takes longer than film reading

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on January 9, 2009 at 1:00am — No Comments

RSNA memories dwell on more than radiology

January 8, 2009 RSNA memories dwell on more than radiology By the Diagnostic Imaging staff -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Between the inevitably slow cab rides to and from O'Hare International Airport, the RSNA experience creates indelible memories. Old-timers recall how the world's largest medical meeting was once contained in a ballroom at Chicago's Palmer House Hotel. Newcomers remember their first exposure to world-class radiological… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on January 8, 2009 at 3:00am — No Comments

NovaRad announces combined availability of NovaRIS and NovaPACS Radiology System

NovaRad's NovaRIS/NovaPACS 7.1 combined radiology system will be helpful for hospitals, imaging centers and clinics improve reading and scheduling efficiencies for enhancement in the productivity. NovaPacs offers fast image retrieval; full-feature viewer with interface which can be understood easily and also has 7-year on-site archive with off site emergency back up.

The combined RIS/PACS system is a web based system which runs on the same open source platform for speedy installation… Continue

Added by radRounds Radiology Network on January 7, 2009 at 10:00am — No Comments