Alessandra Simmons's Blog (59)

In January 2016, Vice President Joe Biden’s created the Cancer Moonshot initiative to help promote 10 years’ worth of advances in cancer research, prevention and treatment within just five years. One of the main goals of Moonshot is to bring the expertise of diverse fields together to solve pressing cancer problems. Following VP Biden’s lead…

Figure 1 is an online global network in which healthcare practitioners, including radiologists, can share medical cases and receive feedback in real time. Using the smartphone app or web browser version, practitioners upload an image, write a caption and tag it with a category. Healthcare providers often post images…

Some radiologic imaging can be safe for pregnant women who have sustained traumatic injuries, according to a review article published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS). 

Researchers from the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA, and the Garden State OB/GYN Associates in Voorhees, NJ reviewed the diagnostic dilemma that confronts emergency room physicians when pregnant women present with traumatic…

Since May, there’s been ongoing debate about one of your most significant, frequently-used tools – your PACS. Has it, in fact, outlived its original purpose only to be replaced by a sleeker, more versatile system? 

At this year’s SIIM conference, Donald Dennison, director-at-large of the SIIM Board of Directors and chair of the…

Overdiagnosis is commonly discussed in areas like breast imaging, where screening is widely conducted and media interest is high. While it’s under the radar for other diseases, it’s a big enough topic in the medical world to warrant a dedicated issue in Academic Radiology. Its August 2015 issue is devoted to overdiagnosis, a term used for disease that’s correctly…

How would you finish the sentence: "To calm your anxiety about your MRI...." Click here to find out how Diagnistic Imaging Comic Jon Hunter did. 

Source: UBM Diagnostic…

At RSNA 2014, EverBank Commercial Finance, Inc. conducted a survey of attendees regarding their top priorities for 2015. The numbers are highlighted in the infographic here. Now that we are more than half-way…

Coronary artery calcification imaging determines plaque build up and accurately predicts 15-year mortality among asymptomatic patients, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers from Georgia, New York, Maryland, California, Pennsylvania,…

A report from Transparency Market Research recently stated that the global teleradiology market was worth approximately $0.92 billion in 2012.  The estimation is…

Magnetic resonance imaging can help measure exercise limitations in patients with mild-to-moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and both MRI and CT can provide information about their symptoms, according to a study published in Radiology. 

Source: UBM Partner Site Diagnostic Imaging - For full article, please click …

Whether you’re a resident wanting to learn more about the business and leadership aspects of radiology, or you’re a practicing physician ready to increase the knowledge base outside of the reading room, here’s where to get schooled. - 

See the…

I am known to be pretty easygoing with nursing staff. I don't yell, pitch a fit, or belittle clinical staff. My responses are generally mild, even when I am annoyed, frustrated, or incredulous. This may be causing problems. I wonder if I was more assertive about the things going on with my patients that I disagree with, I'd have an easier time of it.…

Robert De Niro recently made headlines with an unusually frank graduation speech, telling art school grads in his initial statement that, “You made it. And you’re f***ed.” Of course, he went on to cushion the blow a bit, but not before pointing out that those earning other types of degrees, say, in accounting, would have jobs and a reasonable expectation of success and…

More radiology residents and fellows are interpreting imaging examinations of Medicare beneficiaries, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Researchers from Georgia, Virginia, and Arkansas sought to evaluate changes in the…

Dense breast tissue should not be the sole determinant for supplemental or alternative screening methods following a normal mammogram, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers from California, Washington, New Hampshire, and Vermont undertook a study to determine which combinations of breast cancer risk and Breast Imaging Reporting…

Helen Oscislawski, a lawyer who focuses on high tech and HIPAA law, outlined at SIIM 2015 ten security measures for health care IT to help keep your organization’s data secure. From HIPAA audits to social media and texting, Oscislawski has got you covered. View the slideshow …

Sharon Gibson, operations manager in radiology, of Massachusetts General Hospital wants her radiology patients to be happy. She and Garry Choy, MD, a radiologist with MGH, presented at ACR 2015 some of the tools the MGH Imaging Department is utilizing to enhance the patient experience.

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Even within the radiological sphere, I often feel the need to begin and end with disclaimers about what I have to offer. For instance, when someone tells me, third-hand, what was said about a chest CT (neither images nor report available to me) and asks what I think, I feel I cannot underscore enough for them how much pertinent detail is missing from the scenario for me…

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

Here, they profiled Ron Schilling.

1. Please state your…