Facility Management

I was caught off guard last week by the barrage of news reports that stemmed from a study regarding lung screening for early cancer detection. Every news channel in my area was reporting it with the same vigor they use to convey news of North Korea and the Iraq war. PBS even had a special on it. What many of us in the imaging community already knew, and those in Congress seem to forget, is that medical imaging saves lives and money.

U.S. hospitals are in trouble, with an estimated shortage of up to 200,000 beds nationwide predicted by 2012. Profitability issues are to blame, according to a report by the Center for Health Design in Concord, CA.

The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC) will push hard for the postelection Congress to pass legislation to delay scheduled Medicare cuts aimed at medical imaging reimbursement, but prospects do not look good.

After a 60-day comment period on proposed changes to the Medicare physician fee schedule, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released its final rule this month, a document that deviates little from the changes announced earlier in the year. Comments sent in by interested stakeholders, however, reveal concerted efforts to amend provisions that reduce payment.

Burned out and discouraged, physicians in significant numbers have considered chucking their medical careers, according to the American College of Physician Executives’ first Physician Morale Survey.

Solutions include ways to store and distribute data while offering seamless integration with workflow tools

Specialty hospitals continue to narrow their focus in order to widen their margins

Practical tips from one early adopter demonstrate dos and don'ts of transitioning to 3T MR imaging

Annual release of Medicare update reveals multiple proposals affecting radiologists

Increasing number of state reimbursement policies for CCTA build momentum for national coverage

In a move calculated to open doors for CT as a cardiac screening tool, GE Healthcare will market a software upgrade for its LightSpeed VCT that will dramatically reduce the radiation dose patients receive during cardiac CT.

CT colonography is effective in the right hands, complements conventional optical colonoscopy well, and appeals to consumers, according to a study of about 1100 patients at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

FDG-PET’s ability to monitor and foresee tumor treatment response and long-term outcomes will be put to the test in a new national study run by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network.

Laser-based eye tests now in clinical trials for detection of Alzheimer’s disease have proven successful in spotting early molecular signs of the disease. The commercialization of these tests could ignite future demand for imaging studies of patients suspected of Alzheimer’s.

Laser-based eye tests now in clinical trials for detection of Alzheimer’s disease have proven successful in spotting early molecular signs of the disease. The commercialization of these tests could ignite future demand for imaging studies of patients suspected of Alzheimer’s.

One of the largest health insurers in the U.S. has solicited the American College of Radiology for its opinion regarding who should read coronary CT angiography studies.

Diagnostic Imaging roundtable tackles rationales and realities of efforts to rein in imaging use in radiology

Correlation between pre- and postcontrast images of knees could influence treatment evaluation

Ideal computer-aided detection tool combines high sensitivity with low false-positive rates

New advances in technology keep older modality in the picture for cost-effective cardiovascular diagnosis.

Cardiologist/trainer urges specialties to consider partnership models that capitalize on strengths of both cardiologists and radiologists

Insight stumbles in Q4, FYAgfa scores with sports med group

Experts agree: Coronary CT angiography is on track to be reimbursed throughout the country, by both Medicare intermediaries and private payers, by the end of 2008. But what can providers do to deal with reimbursement issues now, when payment is still up in the air?

Nearly 90% of the medical imaging procedures whose Medicare reimbursement rates would drop under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 would bring in less than the estimated cost of performing them in physician offices and independent imaging centers, according to a report released Monday.

Nearly 90% of the outpatient imaging procedures earmarked for cuts under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 would be reimbursed at rates lower than the estimated costs of performing the procedure, according to a study conducted by The Moran Company.

Hard though it is to believe, there is another issue facing outpatient imaging centers besides the Deficit Reduction Act, information technology, and turf wars. It’s the multimodality revolution, which encompasses plain film x-ray, ultrasound, and yes, even mammography.

By pinpointing the motor and language areas of the brain with functional MRI, surgeons can target brain tumors more effectively, while reducing the risk of damaging important cognitive and motor processes, according to a study in the September issue of Radiology.