Facility Management

The FDA issued draft guidance July 7 to exempt 19 types of radiology device accessories from premarket notification requirements. Among the devices include film cassettes, film processors and digitizers.

“Significant and unwarranted” medical imaging cuts in the Proposed Medicare Fee Schedule Rule for 2012, on top of “extreme” cuts to imaging services over the last five years, will drive many imaging providers from practice, restrict access to care, even for procedures not specifically affected by the cuts, and may actually increase Medicare costs for many of these services, the American College of Radiology said Tuesday.

Non-radiologists – physicians or otherwise – with on-site imaging services are two-and-half times more likely to order imaging than clinicians with no financial interest in imaging.

NEC Display Solutions of America announced this week the Food & Drug Administration 510(k) market clearance of the 30-inch MultiSync MD301C4 medical diagnostic display for the displaying and viewing of digital images for diagnosis.

The University of Chicago has acquired technology and intellectual property rights for the development of amifostine, a drug researchers hope can prevent genetic changes caused by a variety of sources of ionizing radiation exposure, including common Computer Tomography (CT) scans.

There are many vendors that provide supplies for our imaging needs. I doubt that any of them would object to accepting more money from you if you are willing to pay it. The task lies within you and your organization to find the savings.

On October 1, 2013, every radiology practice has to start using the International Classification of Disease 10 (ICD-10), instead of ICD-9. This will bring immense complications for radiologists in their billing and payment procedures. Is ICD-10 beneficial, a bureaucratic burden, or a bit of both? And, in any event, what are the best measures you and your staff can take to prepare?

There are few buzzwords likelier to get a strong reaction from radiologists than the one mentioned above. Bring it up, and folks can get animated, agitated, or downright angry. Part of what makes this such a tinderbox is that “teleradiology” refers to a heterogeneous group of entities, and it’s easy to dismiss them all with a single condemning sweep of the hand.

Advice from Andy Savo on negotiating the new marketplace

Hundreds of hospitals across the country needlessly exposed patients to radiation by giving patients doubled-up CT chest scans a front page article in Saturday’s New York Times found.

Today, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recommended that Congress require pre-authorizations for some imaging services, consistent with its proposed recommendations from last month.

A bipartisan bill to set minimum education and certification standards for technical personnel providing, planning and delivering Medicare-funded medical imaging and radiation therapy treatments is moving through Congress.

How teleradiology is leveraging the cloud computing trend -- and doing it differently than non-healthcare companies

The median starting salary for diagnostic radiologists in 2010 was $350,000, according to the just-released Placement Starting Salary Survey: 2011 Report Based on 2010 Data from the Medical Group Management Association.

Boost your patient satisfaction and streamline your workflow with these top five tips.

Accrediting organizations urge providers to apply by June 30, 2011. On the first day of 2012, private outpatient imaging centers providing MRI, CT, PET exams and nuclear medicine procedures will need accreditation for Medicare to reimburse for the technical component under Part B of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

Yes, part of radiology service is accommodating what seem like demanding requests sometimes. But each call, be it from physician or patient, needs to be handled professionally, quickly and efficiently.

Better scheduling, reminder calls, and skillful staff will let you get more patients through each day.

Kiosks have been touted as a way to streamline patient registration, especially during peak hours, increase the accuracy of recorded patient data, collect co-pays or outstanding balances in a timelier manner, and better utilize front-office staff.

Although 40 percent of surveyed mammographers anticipate a suit in the next five years, in reality 10 percent will face a legal challenge.

Though access to capital remains tight and Medicare dollars are hard to come by, managers of hospital radiology departments remain confident in their ability to turn a profit.

The use of breast shields is the technique of choice to protect the breasts of women from radiation exposure while undergoing chest CT examinations, according to a new study.

CMS's new abdomen-pelvis CT scans combined-code requirement halves reimbursement, reducing payment for tumor, cancer, or similar scans.

General practitioners generally find radiology reports helpful. Specialists? A little less so.

Retirement and recruitment may be growing. Is your practice ready?

Aycan Medical Systems has announced that the company has received European clearance to market its mobile imaging app - optimized for use on the iPad 2 - and is awaiting FDA clearance.

Radiology Associates of South Florida, one of the largest practices in the country based in Miami-Dade County, recently make a major shift in their revenue cycle management. Here, Dennis Wiseman, RASF’s executive director, discusses why they changed systems, the challenges they faced, and what other practices should know before diving in.

High utilizers of advanced medical imaging beware: the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) just voted 15-1 this month to recommend to Congress that the top tier of referrers of advanced medical imaging should get prior authorization first.

Researchers at the International Imaging Industry Association (I3A) examined potential damage to imaging materials entering the country as cargo, which is being screened by high-energy X-ray equipment. Indeed, one kind of X-ray machine is likely to cause damage to medical imaging films, according to the group.