Diagnostic Imaging Staff

Despite the availability of clinical guidelines for optimal spine care for back pain patients, many unnecessary diagnostic imaging tests are being performed.

Specialized MRIs allow physicians to view progress in brain cancer treatment before it can be detected by standard MRI, allowing for early therapy changes.

18F-FDG PET/CT can better assess bone marrow involvement in patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma than can standard bone biopsy.

Web-based quality control system results in significantly fewer common image quality errors radiographs, CTs and MRIs.

Women with some breast tissue abnormalities may avoid surgery if they undergo yearly mammograms plus MRI and ultrasound to monitor for changes.

Digital tomosynthesis results in fewer false positives and reduces recall rates, but has higher radiation doses than mammography.

Mammography recall rates may be influenced by factors outside of radiologists’ control, and rates might not be a great measure of quality.

Using urology meetings to provide constant and consistent education regarding accepted clinical guidelines for screening low-risk prostate cancer patients results in a drop of unnecessary tests.

Physicians used significantly lower radiation doses for cardiac CT angiography when weekly dose reports provided feedback on the tests performed.

The average salaries of radiologic technologists rose by only 1.7 percent in the last three years - a far slower growth than in previous periods.

The use of electronic health records cut the cost of outpatient care, including radiology, by 3 percent, compared with the use of paper records.

Too many CT scans are still performed on children complaining of headaches.

CMS’s proposed hospital outpatient payments for 2014 would cut reimbursement for CT and MRI studies by 18 percent to 38 percent, according to the ACR.

Radiologist workstations have more bacteria than do nearby toilet seats and doorknobs.

If radiologists want to be involved in making decision regarding medical imaging tests, they will need to step up and make themselves heard.

Using a half dose of contrast with 3-T MRI for patients with early rheumatoid arthritis shows identical image quality as full-dose.

Medical imaging policy should not depend on spending alone, as evidenced by a decrease in imaging tests performed, while costs stay steady or rise.

CT angiogram monitoring of patients with cerebral aneurysms helps identify if and when the aneurysms grow, increasing the risk of rupture.

Siemens Healthcare has received FDA clearance for their MAMMOMAT Inspiration Prime Edition lower dose mammography system.

iPads are helping radiology residents learn by providing access to online journals and texts, but they still have not become essential work tools.

Using PET to stage patients with limited-stage small-cell lung cancer before treatment improves survival rate.

How does your salary and work hours compare? How happy are you with your career choice? Find out what radiologists, administrators, technologists, PACS/IT managers, students and residents think in our 2013 Radiology Compensation Survey.

Nuclear medicine and MR technologists recommend regulations around education, certification and staffing for the new hybrid technology.

Radiology tests in emergency departments are most often requested by the patients, not the ordering physicians.

Siemens Healthcare has received FDA clearance for its Virtual Touch imaging ultrasound application.

Carestream received FDA clearance for a new wireless digital radiography detector designed for low-dose pediatric exams.

Most Americans say they would undergo radiologic imaging - and pay more - to receive a diagnosis, even if no cure or treatment was available.

Contrast-enhanced MR imaging can find undiagnosed infection at the site of contaminated spinal injections.

Harvey L. Neiman, MD, FACR, head of the American College of Radiology, announced this week plans to retire as CEO next spring.

Using MRI to obtain two measurements in the abdominal aorta may help physicians predict which patients may go on to have a cardiac event.