The Diagnostic Imaging facility management focus page provides information, videos, podcasts, and the latest news about workflow optimization, artificial intelligence, technology, radiology-radiologic technologist relationships, productivity, legislation, and reimbursement.
May 14th 2024
While radiologists and other providers may be discouraged by insurer denials saying the use of a technological advance is “unproven and investigational,” 82 percent of appeals for prior authorization denials were approved in 2021.
Philips readies Gemini PET/CT for production later this year
April 3rd 2002Hybrid scanner's journey covers a lot of groundPhilips has begun taking orders for Gemini, a hybrid PET/CT system that splits into two parts, which allows single-modality scanning on either component. Shipments are scheduled to
NIH moves to share medical research data
April 1st 2002Sharing medical research data benefits everyone: research radiologists, their funders, the broader research community, and -- most important -- the patient.Data sharing promotes open scientific inquiry, encouraging diversity of analysis and opinion. It
PET equipment boom pushes industry to new heights in 2001
February 20th 2002Double-digit growth looks possible this yearPET equipment sales soared last year. Strong growth in the first half was moderated by concerns regarding PET reimbursement, but the industry as a whole still turned in its best
Fresh applications indicate impending acceptance of 3D
February 6th 2002CAD and virtual colonoscopy pace new developmentsFaster, less-expensive, and easier-to-use workstations are paving the way for adoption of 3D imaging. But it's not just 3D driving acceptance of these postprocessing workstations.
Manufacturers expect growth in PET equipment sales
January 23rd 2002Lower reimbursement portends little effectAs the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) takes a second look at its proposed reduction in Medicare reimbursement for outpatient PET exams, manufacturers are weighing in on
Imaging services companies predict revenue growth despite slowing economy
November 21st 2001Proposed pay cuts for PET could make providers more efficientMedical imaging services’ business continues to grow at a robust rate, despite a deepening recession and temporary dislocations caused by the Sept. 11 terrorist
New type of sonography creates planar images of soft tissues
November 21st 2001Developer plans commercial launch at RSNA showAfter five years of research and development, Advanced Diagnostics is poised to begin delivering its first commercial product, the Avera Diffractive Energy Imaging (DEI) system. This
Siemens unveils intelligent IT to integrate all aspects of patient care
October 31st 2001Siemens Medical has introduced Soarian, a Web-enabled software-based product that connects discrete databases, including medical images, patient records, and billing, to the daily processes of caring for patients. This all-in-one product, which debuted
Mobile PET Systems launches subsidiary
October 31st 2001A new wholly owned subsidiary of Mobile PET Systems, Molecular Imaging Corp., has been formed. The new company will develop stationary PET centers through partnership agreements with healthcare entities. Molecular Imaging was created to take advantage of
Glamour technologies promise to lead imaging sales to new heights
September 19th 2001The MR and CT industries may be only months away from achieving record sales performances in the U.S. Second-quarter revenue and third-quarter trend analyses indicate that the sales of high-performance equipment, buoyed by rising open sales, may have
New scintillators promise faster, more accurate PET images
September 19th 2001The development of new crystal technology is crucial to the advancement of PET imaging. Executives at ADAC Laboratories are betting on GSO (gadolinium oxyorthosilicate) for their flagship PET system, Allegro.Crystals convert high-energy photons into
Increased throughput could determine success of digital mammography
September 5th 2001For years, proponents of digital mammography have focused on the inherent cost-effectiveness of digital mammography. But that may not be its best selling point. Increased efficiency and its effect on patient throughput could be the keys that open the
CMS coverage decision favors dedicated PET scanners
July 25th 2001The worst fears of owners and vendors of coincidence cameras were confirmed on June 29, when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) formally restricted reimbursement to selected types of nuclear medicine devices.Expanded PET applications
Online tutorials train radiologists on the job
July 23rd 2001Interactive computer-based teaching programs can provide an effective way of training radiologists at their desks, according to experts in medical informatics. While medical education is often characterized by hours spent in lecture halls and costly
Upswing in telemedicine market attracts vendor interest
July 8th 2001Propelled by a favorable reimbursement climate, the telemedicine market is on the move, attracting new vendors and users. Many newcomers represent teleradiology and PACS companies with Web-based products for image transmission and archiving.“The
PET holdings expand in Indiana and Texas
July 8th 2001US Oncology has boosted its number of PET facilities to seven with the opening of two new centers in Indianapolis and Austin. The Indianapolis facility will be US Oncology’s first mobile unit. The PET Imaging Center of Central Texas has opened at
Hitachi installs new high-field open MR system
June 20th 2001Altaire has found a home. Hitachi Medical Systems has installed the first of its higher-field open Altaire scanners at Mission Regional Imaging Center in Mission Viejo, CA. Altaire, which delivers 22mT/m gradient amplitude and 55T/m/s slew rate, can
Computer-aided detection inches closer to widespread acceptance
May 23rd 2001Specificity has long been the weak spot of computer-aided detection. Pattern-matching algorithms have traditionally marked everything suspicious, leading radiologists to complain that CAD systems did little more than redirect them to do a second read.CAD
Congress debates payment boost for screening mammography
May 23rd 2001Two House bills that call for an increase in screening mammography payments have picked up support on both sides of the aisle. The two measures, which propose raising the reimbursement rate from the current $69 to $90, are based on Senate bill 548,
High-tech love affair feeds growth of CT and MRI markets in U.S.
May 9th 2001The glamour technologies of imaging, MRI and CT, turned in stellar performances in 2000, pushing revenues in each market close to or beyond record levels. MRI sales in the U.S. topped more than a billion dollars for the second year in a row. Driving the
SonoSite pins hopes on Plus ultrasound systems
May 9th 2001SonoSite unveiled SonoSite Plus and SonoHeart Plus on April 19, amid sobering news of the company’s financial state.The new versions of handheld ultrasound scanner SonoSite 180 and SonoHeart received FDA clearance in February and are expected to
HCFA signals policy change for coincidence cameras
April 25th 2001The paths to Medicare reimbursement for dedicated PET and coincidence cameras have diverged and there appears to be no hope of reuniting them.As of July 1, Medicare will reimburse users of dedicated PET scanners for the diagnosis, staging, and restaging
Agilent launches handheld ultrasound system at cardiology meeting
March 28th 2001Following the commercial release of OptiGo, Agilent is hoping cardiologists can be convinced to use its handheld ultrasound system in place of a stethoscope. Introduced March 19 at the annual American College of Cardiology meeting in Orlando, FL, the
Handheld ultrasound excites vendor and customer imagination
March 28th 2001Handheld ultrasound requires a leap of faith as much as it does technology. Intuitively, the idea seems brilliant: Shrink an ultrasound scanner so it can be worn on your belt, strapped to your shoulder, or carried by hand into places where ultrasound
Structured reporting system brings consistency, streamlines tasks
March 26th 2001Despite advances in radiology, the ultimate product -- the radiology report -- remains largely unchanged. Radiologists typically issue narrative descriptions of findings after image analysis, a labor-intensive and sometimes error-prone process.