Diagnostic Imaging North America

April 2006

COVER STORY

By: Emily Hayes

• 64-slice CT survey: Early adopters offer advice
• In 2006, has the EHR's time finally come?

Imaging News

• PACS voice clips enhance productivity, efficiency
• Experts ditch paper for automated digital consent

HIMSS Notebook

• Quest for integration dominates meeting

SCAR Preview

• Imaging informatics meeting brings changes into focus

Networks

• PACS forges connection to electronic health record

Portability

• Health data exchange aims to improve cancer imaging
• Cross-enterprise standard fosters imaging exchange

Image Management

• Cardiology PACS must produce moving images

Perspective

• Stock offering signals technology tipping point

DEPARTMENTS
X-RAY VISION

John C. Hayes

Splash created by 64-slice CT obscures other radiology advances

AGENDA

C.P. Kaiser

Women's imaging searches for niche as its own subspecialty

Overread

• Brain damage from alcohol worsens with tobacco use
• fMRI elaborates on stock answers
• Dose concerns sway use of MR, CT in colon, brain
• To The Point
• Contrast ultrasound finds a niche in molecular imaging
• Imagers explore PET/CT for lung cancer diagnosis
• Carotid stenting brings mental pep
• SPECT changes standard of care for low back pain

Newsclips

• ACR blasts breast imaging study as misleading
• MSCT helps I-ELCAP spot latent lung cancers
• CT-guided therapy dries up embarrassing sweaty palms
• Radiology reports fail to mention pediatric obesity
• Feds appraise the value of nuclear medicine research
• CT beats fluoroscopy for Crohn's disease anomalies

Women's Health Special Section

• Caregiver stereotype plagues female radiology residents
• Radiologists top computers in breast cancer screening
• False positives foil hopes for ovarian cancer screening
• Ultrasound predicts outcome of ectopic pregnancy remedy
• Breast MR boosts detection of ductal carcinoma in situ
• Researchers become hip to prosthetic complication
• MR-guided ultrasound effectively treats fibroids
• Popularity of breast ultrasound raises questions of quality
• Certification rules for surgeons rival radiologists'
• Growth of boutique practice spurs imaging expansion

3T MR Special Section

• High-field scanners assume routine clinical caseloads
• Three-T matures to meet expanding clinical needs
• Up-to-date coils add clarity to 3T spine imaging

Tech Watch

• Miniature x-ray tube turns brachytherapy on and off

Backscatter

• ACR practice guidelines could cut both ways