2015 Article Archive
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December 2015
Features
MRI's Role in Prostate Cancer Active Surveillance
The role of MRI in prostate cancer management is becoming more refined. Still, legitimate concerns about cost and the lack of universal guidelines exist and researchers say those areas need to be addressed.
DR in the ER
As the number of emergency departments in the country slowly declines, the introduction of portable DR allows physicians to be even more effective in their care of an ever-increasing number of patients visiting the ED.
Training Staff in MRI Safety
While more is understood today about MRI safety and there is a greater capacity to control the effects of MRI, increased knowledge is not reflected in a reduction in MRI accidents.
Population Health Management
Progressive organizations are exploring strategies to use data for the purpose of improving community health.
departments
Editor's Note
MRI Safety Procedures — Improving Training for Operators
Imaging Informatics
Image Governance
November 2015
Features
Young Athletes and Head Trauma
The use of imaging for suspected head trauma in youth athletes remains a delicate balancing act for many radiologists who must weigh the pros and cons of potential radiation exposure.
Restrictive Covenants
When joining a new practice, radiologists should read any noncompete clauses in their contract very closely to ensure that the restrictions won't prevent them from being able to work elsewhere in the future.
At Their Service
In another example of radiologists leaving the reading room and getting out in the field, radiologists were invited to be part of the onsite medical team at the US Open 2015 Tennis Championships.
VNA: Should You?
It takes good project management, but for most hospitals the answer is becoming yes—even for many smaller facilities.
RSNA Navigation Guide
Our popular roadmap to the exhibit hall and course highlights at RSNA.
departments
Editor's Note
Imaging, Concussion, and Young Athletes
Imaging Informatics
Native or Standard Format in Your Archive?
Radiology Billing and Coding
Professional and Technical Components
October 2015
Features
Imaging in the NFL
Radiology, thanks to advances in both the field and technology, is playing an increasingly larger role in diagnosing National Football League players' injuries as they happen—often without having to leave the stadium.
Gamma Imaging and Dense Breasts
Selecting the best adjunct imaging to complement mammography for women with dense breasts can be challenging. Some view nuclear gamma imaging as the most logical adjunct option.
Buy or Lease?
Take a look at the factors institutions use to decide whether to lease or purchase equipment.
Quantitation and Automation
Clinicians are searching for new methods to both better detect smaller lesions and quickly ascertain whether a patient is responding to current treatments. Scanner manufacturers are working to expand PET/CT tools and equipment to achieve that objective.
departments
Editor's Note
Are You Ready for Some Football Imaging?
Radiology Billing and Coding
Policy Matters Radiologists Can't Afford to Overlook
Imaging Informatics
Institutional Twitter
September 2015
Features
Ready or Not, ICD-10 Is Here
ICD-10 will finally arrive on October 1, 2015, and there are several key areas that radiologists should take special notice of in order to ensure proper documentation and reimbursement.
Radiology Apps
While they will likely never replace full workstations, a variety of apps are available for radiologists to use on their Android and Apple devices to help make their jobs easier and more efficient.
Bring More Meaning to Meaningful Use
Organizations with a myopic view of meaningful use are likely to struggle to meet new objectives and gain little from those they do attain.
2015 Annual Buyers' Guide
Don't miss our annual directory of the latest imaging products and services.
departments
Editor's Note
Customer Service
Imaging Informatics
Archiving Scotland
MRI Monitor
Third-Party Coils
Radiology Billing and Coding
A Tool for ICD-10 Transition
Group Practice
Fear and Imaging in Las Vegas: Observations from AHRA 2015
August 2015
Features
Getting Paid for DBT
Digital breast tomosynthesis is gaining acceptance in women’s imaging. However, imagers have had to deal with the challenges of sporadic reimbursement from insurance providers who still view the procedure as experimental.
Desk Job
Radiologists put in long hours at their workstations, which can put them in uncomfortable positions. To alleviate some of this physical stress, considerations such as comfort, quality, size, and functionality should be top of mind when shopping for furniture for the radiology reading room.
Biopsy & Treatment
A recent study looks at combining lung cancer biopsy and radiofrequency ablation into one procedure as a way to both alleviate patient stress and reduce possible complications from multiple invasive procedures.
Archive Strategies
As health care organizations seek ways to make medical images accessible throughout their enterprises, many are looking at their archives as a starting point. Health systems consolidation combined with rising demand for imaging is making an effective archiving strategy essential.
Departments
Editor’s Note
Beyond Interesting
Managing to Succeed
Value-Based OEM Service Contracts
Group Practice
Strengthen Your Competitive Edge
Imaging Informatics
DICOM Dose Tracking
July 2015
features
Archiving and the Enterprise
As PACS needs become more complex, virtual solutions increasingly protect against real disasters, but many facilities and vendors are not there yet.
Five Observations From SIIM 2015
The Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine held their annual meeting at the end of May in National Harbor, Maryland, and Radiology Today was there. These are five pieces of information we took away from the event.
Reporter's Notebook: SNMMI 2015
Here's a roundup of some important studies presented at the society's annual meeting last month.
Still Rolling
Mobile imaging has always been a favorite of imaging professionals and that popularity is expected to continue to increase over the next five years into an industry worth more than $13 billion by 2020.
departments
Editor's Note
An AHRA State of Mind
Imaging Informatics
Indecision Support
Radiology Billing and Coding
Proper Exam Orders for Medicare
Managing to Succeed
Where Do You Really Stand?
Research Review
AHRA Product and Service Showcase
News Scan
Second Opinions
June 2015
features
Radiology Needs Better Workflow Tools
With greater requirements for value-based care, it is no longer enough for radiologists to share images and issue reports. Now, they need to provide timely information, track performance, and train younger radiologists, and the technology needs to adapt to meet these needs.
Bedside Ultrasound
Not all conditions in the emergency department are immediately obvious to caregivers and these issues can be exacerbated if the patient is unable to speak. To circumvent these concerns, ultrasound has become more a common tool for physicians to promptly diagnosis and treat a variety of medical issues.
How Do Radiologists Fit Into ACOs?
The model for accountable care organizations continues to evolve as they become more widely used. Because of this, the role of radiology groups within this model continues to evolve as well, and there are steps these groups can take to ensure radiologists don't get left behind.
Direct Digital Drives Forward
The benefits of DR over CR can be seen throughout the industry. Still, for many health care providers, making that transition often comes down to cost. As a result, some manufacturers are putting a greater emphasis on price while others focus on speed and dose reduction.
departments
Editor's Note
Working Out Workflow
Radiology Billing and Coding
Getting Your Referring Providers Ready for ICD-10
Imaging Informatics
How Many?
Summer Product & Service Showcase
May 2015
features
Big Picture
As medical imaging has risen from a radiology-specific concern to an enterprisewide need, hospitals have had to adjust to the increasing demand for images, although making that adjustment is no easy feat.
Ready, Set … Slow
While insurance coverage for low-dose CT lung cancer screening has opened the gates, many imaging professionals believe that the number of patients who actually get screened will be well below the 7 to 10 million people now eligible. However, these professionals remain optimistic that there will be a gradual increase in the number of patients screened in coming years.
Prostatic Artery Embolization
Clinical trials are expanding as IR researchers investigate outcomes, patient selection, and the economics of this investigational alternative to surgery for enlarged prostates.
Three Scan Rule
Based on recent positive findings, researchers are questioning the 2013 decision by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to cover only three posttherapy follow-up FDG PET/CT scans per patient and per tumor type, including lung cancer.
departments
Editor's Note
Expanding Beyond Does Not Equal Leaving
Imaging Informatics
Nuclear Cardiology and the Enterprise
Ultrasound News
Ultrasound Could Detect Potential Heart Attacks, Stroke Before Symptoms
MRI Monitor
FMRI Identifies HIV-Associated Cognitive Decline Before Symptoms Occur
Managing to Succeed
Business Intelligence Data: Rethink What You've Always Done
Second Opinions
April 2015
features
PET/MRI
Over the past 15 years, PET/CT has replaced standalone PET as the primary tool for many cancer diagnoses. Now researchers are investigating how PET/MRI may provide better information in some cases, as well as reduced radiation exposure.
Radiology Today Interview:
Teleradiology, Young Radiologists, and the Future
Greg Rose, MD, PhD, CEO of Rays, a teleradiology company based in Littleton, Colorado, recently discussed where he thinks teleradiology and radiology in general are headed.
Notification Also Needs Education
Nearly half the states have dense breast notification laws, and a bill for a national law has been introduced in Congress. Yet, an educational gap between imagers and primary care physicians remains a hurdle that the industry will need to conquer.
CT Technology Update: Dual-Energy Duel
Recent buzz regarding CT has centered on a handful of topics, most notably CT for lung cancer screening and multienergy exams. Not surprisingly, these are areas in which companies have focused their new products.
departments
Editor's Note
Exploring PET/MRI
Imaging Informatics
How Do You Know It's the 'Right Test'?
Radiology Billing and Coding
Physician Supervision Requirements for Radiology
Managing to Succeed
Shop for Terms, Not Just Equipment
Spring Product and Service Showcase
March 2015
features
Right Tool, for Which Job?
As EMRs have evolved into EHRs over the past 20 years, radiologists have continued to strive to effectively integrate them as both the types of information and the potential value of that information to clinical practices have grown.
Job 1: Better Diagnoses
Image quality remains the biggest concern when it comes to what's trending in ultrasound. However, improved workflow, ease of use, and ergonomics remain key to improving the ability of clinicians to provide accurate diagnoses.
Reporter's Notebook: SIR 2015
Learn about the latest research findings presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's annual meeting, held earlier this month in Atlanta.
Decider Support
CT image quality continues to improve. As a result, radiologists are able to notice more incidental findings. Now, the ACR and Massachusetts General Hospital will leverage the Nuance Communications PowerShare Network to bring clinical guidelines to the radiologists' workflow, helping them determine which incidental findings are likely benign and which should be further inspected.
departments
Editor's Note
News You Can Use, When You Can Use It
Radiology Billing and Coding
Accurate Breast Imaging Coding for 2015
Imaging Informatics
Analytics and Reimbursement
Guest Commentary
Radiation Dose
Interventional News
News From ISET 2015
February 2015
features
MRI Technology Update: Need for Speed
MRI manufacturers, noting an increased expansion into smaller community hospitals, have adjusted their product lines in order to best serve those facilities.
Armed With Information
For more than a century, pitchers have suffered arm injuries—with what most perceived as little rhyme or reason—while playing baseball. However, a recent study of shoulder MRIs by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital may shed light on the cause of some of the most severe injuries.
Data Breach
Health care organizations victimized by a data breach face a series of residual effects, including financial and reputational harm.
Proton Therapy and Cost
While there is little debate about the effectiveness of proton therapy for treating certain cancers when compared with conventional radiation, the cost of the treatment has many institutes grappling with the idea of building and operating a proton therapy center.
Endovascular Stroke Treatment
A recent study showed that a combination of an endovascular thrombectomy procedure and tissue plasminogen activator application to the clot produced better outcomes than the standard treatment. The result has produced optimism from those who support endovascular intervention.
departments
Editor's Note
Time to Report
Imaging Informatics
Improving Workflow
Radiology Billing and Coding
Imaging Provisions in 2014's SGR Fix
January 2015
features
5 Things to Watch in 2015
Once again, Radiology Today chooses five subjects that we believe will merit your attention in the coming year.
Reporter's Notebook: RSNA 2014
Read about the latest research findings presented at RSNA 2014.
Firm Plans
The use of manual palpation limits physicians' diagnosis ability to the areas of the body that are accessible by their hands. However, through the use of ultrasound elastography, doctors can now reach farther into the human body to help diagnose a variety of ailments.
Reducing PET Dose
For years, an emphasis has been placed on dose reduction in CT exams. Yet PET scans, which can expose patients to as much or more ionizing radiation than CT alone, have not received anywhere near the same amount of attention, causing some in the field to ask why.
Lung Cancer Screening's Changing Tide
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed coverage of low-dose CT lung cancer screening for certain patients last year. It's not clear how the expanded screening might unfold in day-to-day use.
departments
Editor's Note
Putting Some Pop Into Data Aggregation
Imaging Informatics
Highlights of ACR's Informatics Summit
CT Slice
Lung Screening
Radiology Billing and Coding
Postreduction X-rays
