The HIPAA contingency plan devised by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) should allow the industry the additional time it needs to prepare for implementation of the Transaction and Code Sets regulation. But the plan is also crucial to
Negative reactions taint Cordis productThe safety of drug-eluting stents was called into question Oct. 29, when the FDA issued a warning that one such device, the only one approved for sale in the U.S., can cause clotting and
Point-and-shoot CCD technology enhances images instantlyIt would be hard to find an area of radiology less able to afford digital technology than mammography. Low reimbursement rates have strained the budgets of mammographers, yet
PDA-like device based on piezoceramics alternativeFollowing a universal trend to make electronic devices smaller, GE is developing a prototype of a handheld diagnostic ultrasound unit. The system is similar in shape to the popular
On most weekday mornings, Dr. Arjun Kalyanpur can be found in his Bangalore, India, office performing imaging diagnoses for dozens of hospitals in the U.S. CT and ultrasound studies from as many as 35 hospitals flash across his workstation screen.With
Eline Entertainment Group of Knoxville, TN, opened its first MRI center in August. The 4400-square-foot Okeechobee Imaging Center, located in West Palm Beach, FL, and equipped with a GE Profile 3 open MRI, is part of a new initiative by Eline
Equipped with a GE Lightspeed and staffed by two board-certified radiologists, a new imaging center has begun offering heart, lung, and full-body CTs in the Detroit suburb of Warren. For the first three months of operation, center directors are selling
It's time for the professional community, including the RSNA and the American College of Radiology, to develop guidelines for self-referred whole-body CT screening, according to researchers at Stanford University.Using results of a study of U.S.-based
PACS involves difficult decisions for even the largest hospitals, but smaller outpatient imaging centers often find dealing with PACS purchasing questions even more perplexing.Problems faced by stand-alone imaging center administrators differ from
Hospitals throughout Western Europe increasingly rely on aging medical imaging hardware, as squeezed healthcare budgets and a lack of long-term financial planning keep the lid on regular upgrades and replacements. The slide toward outdated equipment may
PACS is flourishing in some parts of Asia, nourished as much by economic necessity and local medical custom as by desire for filmless imaging.South Korea leads the curve. Annual spurts of PACS growth there reached 183% or more in 2000, 2001, and 2002,
A year ago, surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital, guided by digital x-rays transmitted from the South Pole, helped a physician at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station surgically repair the damaged knee of a meteorologist overwintering in
Researchers present last of clinical results at ISMRM meetingJudgment day is rapidly approaching for Epix Medical. Luminaries have completed four clinical trials aimed at determining the safety and efficacy of the Cambridge, MA,
A year ago, surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital, guided by digital x-rays transmitted from the South Pole, helped a physician at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station surgically repair the damaged knee of a meteorologist overwintering in
By Greg Freiherr, Editor, gfreiherr@cmp.comWe tend to look at technology as a problem solver. And in many instances it is. Faster, cheaper, better solutions are natural
Expansion falls short of advocates' hopesReimbursement typically lags behind the march of imaging technology. But slowly, some would say grudgingly, Medicare and Medicaid have begun to catch up. As April drew to a close, the
Execs cite deteriorating reimbursement, intensifying competitionCerner Corporation issued an earnings warning April 3, sending a shiver down the corporate spine of the IT industry. The diminished performance is a reflection of
In the face of a radiologist shortage, many radiology operations, from small private-practice groups to large university centers, are relying on nighthawks to staff night shifts. International "nighthawk" teleradiology is one solution, exploiting time
Future growth depends on improved educationAurora Imaging Technology is on the rebound. The North Andover, MA, company installed five dedicated MR mammography scanners over the last six months, according to Steven James, Aurora's
Last year I got sick on the fourth day of the ECR. Between lunchtime and dinner I came down with a flu not a funny cold, but a real flu. Intelligent as I was, I packed my 30-kilo suitcase immediately, left out the bare essentials, and went to bed in my
From traditional transcription services to speech recognition technology to structured reporting, the way to streamlined reports seems straightforward. But appearances can be deceptive, and many objections may be raised against structured reporting.
Most new customers choose fast scintillator A quick and unexpected shift to LSO detectors helped make a good quarter for CTI Molecular Imaging even better and promised continuing growth for the Knoxville, TN, company. The maker of
ROUND ROCK, Texas and SAN DIEGO, Feb. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- MyDocOnline(TM), a subsidiary of Aventis, today released MyDocOnline(TM) Dr. Chart(R) version 8.0, an electronic lab communication tool that links laboratories to healthcare providers via the
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Neoteris, the leading provider of instant virtual extranet (IVE) products, today announced that Partners HealthCare, an integrated health care system that provides services from preventive primary care to long-term
The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria (ACRAC) are intended to guide radiologists and referring physicians in making initial decisions about diagnostic imaging and therapeutic techniques.For the ACRAC to be relevant to current
