+ 2011’s Top 20 Imaging-center Chains: Second Annual Report
+ New Payment Models and the Radiology Practice
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Forecasting Imaging Use Under Health-care Reform
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CT and MRI: Regional Variations in Utilization and Reimbursement
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Hospital-based Versus Freestanding Outpatient Imaging Services
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Cost Comparison: Hospital-based Versus Freestanding Outpatient Imaging Services
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Radiology-group Financial Performance
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Outpatient Imaging Utilization Trends
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The Radiology Staffing Market, Temporary and Permanent
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The Eyes Have It
May 18, 2012
This week, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONR) threw down a $150,000 gauntlet for the development of a multidisciplinary solution that would advance electronic image collection and sharing across a variety of specialties.
The Ocular Imaging Challenge, which runs until November 9, 2012, will award $150,000 in the form of three top prizes to the creator of “an application that improves interoperability among office-based ophthalmic imaging devices, measurement devices, and EHRs,” according to the challenge rules.
Documenting ophthalmic exams in EHR “creates barriers to full acceptance... Read More »
Gate Stroke Center Study Finds Toshiba’s Aquilion ONE CT Improves Acute Stroke Diagnoses
May 15, 2012
Kaleida Health’s Gates Stroke Center (GSC) at the Gates Vascular Institute in Buffalo, N.Y. recently completed the second phase of its study analyzing the patient and fiscal benefits of using Toshiba America Medical System, Inc.’s Aquilion ONE CT system in diagnosing acute stroke.
According to GSC and Toshiba, GSC achieved $1.31 million in annualized cost savings, a reduction in patient length of stay and improved discharge dispositions as a result of its multidisciplinary approach, enhanced education and training, and advanced Aquilion ONE CT imaging technology.
... Read More »Posted in ct , imaging_vendor_news , research
Laxative-Free CT Colonography Shows Promise, but Needs Fine-Tuning
May 14, 2012
Laxative-free CT colonography might be on its way to greater adoption, say researchers at Harvard Medical School, but the technology still has some holes in its game.
US News & World Reports cites an advance study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, in which patients who opted for the virtual colonoscopy ate contrast-enhanced meal supplements instead of the traditional laxative cleanse. Although the study showed that the... Read More »
Most Stroke Victims Do Not Get Diagnostic Imaging Fast Enough
May 08, 2012
Fewer than half of all stroke patients undergo brain imaging within the AHA-recommended, 25-minute window after arriving at the ER, according to a new study in the journal Stroke.
CT or MR scans are critical in determining whether a stroke is caused by a blockage or a ruptured blood vessel, which dictates the course of treatment.
The study is based on data collected from the AHA “Get with the Guidelines” program, which spanned some 1200 hospitals and 40,000 patients at the time it was collected. It... Read More »
Toshiba’s AIDR 3D Receives FDA Clearance
April 25, 2012
Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has received FDA clearance of Adaptive Iterative Dose Reduction 3D (AIDR 3D), the company’s newest dose-reduction technology.
AIDR 3D is Toshiba’s third generation iterative dose reconstruction software that reduces radiation dose compared to conventional scanning. The algorithm is designed to work in both the raw data and image data space, reducing noise while attempting to maintain image quality.
AIDR 3D can also be seamlessly integrated with SUREExposureTM 3D, a software that calculates the minimum radiation exposure required for every... Read More »
Posted in ct , dose_monitoring
American Lung Association Issues New Guidelines Favoring Chest CT
April 24, 2012
A critical component in getting more private insurers and possibly even Medicare to cover low-dose chest CT for lung cancer screening for current and former heavy smokers has arrived. The influential American Lung Association (ALA) has revised its guidelines on lung cancer screening to favor chest CT over chest X-ray.
According to the new interim guidelines, individuals should not receive chest X-rays for lung cancer screening. Low-dose chest CT is recommended instead, but only in patients who match the criteria of the patients in the National Cancer Institute’s influential... Read More »
Posted in ct
Canadian Scientists Develop Imaging-Guided Surgical “Lightsaber”
April 19, 2012
The Ottawa Citizen reports that Queen’s University researchers have developed a highly accurate, imaging-based laser surgery technique that will allow surgeons to “see below the surface” of an incision.
Scientists have dubbed their innovation “inline coherent imaging,” based on its derivation from optical coherence tomography. In short, the technique helps to limit the depth, density, and power of a cut by providing imaging guidance.
Researchers believe their discovery has applications for neurosurgery and robotic-guided operations, “and will hopefully allow a... Read More »
Strkyer Partners with NeuroLogica on Mobile CT Surgical Nav Unit
April 13, 2012
Stryker Corp. subsidiary Stryker Navigation has partnered with the Danvers, MA-based portable CT maker, NeuroLogica to produce an integrated surgical navigation unit for its BodyTomTM 32-slice CT scanners.
The technologies should expedite minimally invasive surgeries, “including spine, trauma, neurosurgery and ENT,” according to a joint press release issued by the manufacturers.
Read More »Posted in ct , imaging_vendor_news
Foundation Radiology to Provide 24/7 Reads for United Radiology of MD
April 11, 2012
Foundation Radiology Group of Pittsburgh, PA signed an exclusive teleradiology deal to read advanced imaging studies performed at the Rockville, MD-based United Radiology.
United Radiology is a diagnostic imaging provider that specializes in cardiac imaging, and claims to be the only site in the Mid-Atlantic region to offer rubidium-based PET/CT.
“That’s their niche and we’re helping them fill that,” says Phil Feldstein, spokesperson for Foundation Radiology.
Although the contract is a 24/7 arrangement, Feldstein says his group... Read More »
Posted in ct , teleradiology , pet-ct , cardiac
“Choosing Wisely” Highlights Opportunities to Improve Utilization by Cutting Waste
April 11, 2012
Radiologists can play a key part in helping referring physicians concentrate on areas where they can eliminate financial waste and unnecessary testing, says an ACR fellow who worked on the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation Choosing Wisely campaign.
“We’re trying to make patients and physicians comfortable with the idea that having more tests is not always the best way,” says Debra Monticciolo, MD, FACR. “This is a good start to look at the... Read More »
Posted in ct , acr , mri , safety , health_analytics , health_care_reform , health_care_spending , operations , organizational_culture
Bruker Buys, Re-Brands Micro-CT Maker SkyScan
April 04, 2012
Instrument manufacturer Bruker Corporation is entering the micro-CT business with the purchase of micro-CT makerSkyScan NV, a deal that is expected to net Bruker some $13 million in revenue through the end of 2012 alone. Financial terms of the deal were undisclosed.
SkyScan will be re-branded as Bruker microCT NV but will continue to retail its micro-CT technologies under the SkyScan brand at its current location. Bruker plans to supplement its purchase by investing in additional... Read More »
Posted in ct , marketing , imaging_vendor_news , m&a
Ditch the Wire Brush for Spring Break Grilling, Says AJR Study
March 30, 2012
You might want to re-think your barbecue strategy this summer: according to a new study in the American Journal of Roentgenology, accidental ingestion of wire grill brush bristles is on the rise.
Within 24 hours of ingesting grilled meat, six patients presenting with stomach or throat pain required endoscopic or surgical treatment to remove the objects.
“Careful history revealed cleaning of the grill with a metallic brush immediately before cooking in all six cases,” reads Read More »
SIR Presenters Tout New Directions for Interventional Radiology
March 28, 2012
Underscoring a press statement from SIR President-elect Marshall Hicks that interventional radiology is “the future of health care,” researchers at SIR 2012 debuted findings from a handful of studies spanning new IR treatment options in multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic obesity, and CT-guided lung biopsy, among others.
• IR may yield new hope for MS patients with venous lesions via angioplasties in the neck and chest, which researchers report discovering in 95 percent of the groups they studied. More than... Read More »
Posted in ct , research , dose_monitoring
Additional MR Techniques Improve Detection of Pulmonary Embolism
March 19, 2012
According a study published in the March issue of the journal Radiology, radiologists now have a comparable, non-ionizing option to CT for the detection of pulmonary embolism.
The study was led by Diego R. Martin, MD, of the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
By adding a pair of sequences—volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) and non-contrast true fast imaging with steady-state precession (true FISP)— to previously established MR pulmonary angiography (MRPA) techniques, Martin, et al., found the accuracy of MRPA scans to be improved by as much as 29 percent.
In... Read More »
Posted in ct
EMR Use Up Among Radiation Therapy Sites, External-Beam Tech Still a Growth Market, Says IMV
March 12, 2012
In just four years, the implementation of information systems among radiation therapy sites as an integrated component of oncology treatment has climbed from 50% to two-thirds, according to new research from IMV Medical Information Division.
The group credits meaningful use incentives specifically for this increase, and expects adoption of EMR will continue to grow in the future as long as there’s money to pay for it, with a significant majority of planned upgrades incorporating some form of health IT.&
The IMV Radiation Therapy Market Summary Report also claims that oncologists... Read More »
Posted in ct , ehr , mri , forecasts
Head CT Use Can Vary Widely Even Within a Single ER, Study Says
March 09, 2012
Variation in head CT use may be unnecessarily overtaxing hospital resources and increasing costs to patients, according to a new study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
On the heels of an ill-received CMS measure calling for limiting use of head CT in the interests of lowering patient radiation dose, lead author Luciano M. Prevedello said in a prepared statement that “even after accounting for a number of factors associated with... Read More »
Posted in ct , utilization_management , research
GE Touts Nonionic Contrast Agent, New Reconstruction Software in Lowering Patient CT Doses
March 09, 2012
A new study from MDx, the medical diagnostics business of GE, demonstrates strides the company has taken to reduce radiation exposure and iodine concentration in abdominal CT scan patients.
The chief catalyst for this announcement, GE says, is the proprietary contrast agent, Visipaque, also known as iodixanol, an isosmolar, nonionic chemical that the company says is more easily eliminated—and therefore suitable for use by more vulnerable populations—than iomeprol, another popular contrast agent.
Posted in ct , ge_healthcare , utilization_management , dose_monitoring , contrast_media , advanced_visualization
FDA Clears New Toshiba CT
February 02, 2012
Toshiba America Medical Systems has won FDA clearance for a new CT scanner designed for ultra-low radiation dosage and a fast workflow.
The Aquilon PRIME CT system is the latest addition to Toshiba’s line of CT products. It was designed for facilities that perform a variety of advanced applications with the lowest radiation exposure possible.
“The system can generate 160 unique slices per rotation, enhancing MPR and 3D-rendered images,” according to a company press release.
Toshiba’s proprietary dose checking software is... Read More »
Posted in ct , imaging_vendor_news
Studies Lacking on Radiation Exposure from Cardiac Imaging
February 01, 2012
An article in the Feb 7 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology examines the available research on dose exposure for cardiac imaging and finds it lacking
Author Andrew Einsten, PhD, of Columbia University Medical Center found no direct studies of cancer risk from cardiac imaging but could nonetheless project risk from other studies on radiation exposure, according to an article at CardiovascularBusiness.com.
Cardiac imaging requires some of the highest dose levels compared to... Read More »
Posted in ct , dose_monitoring , cardiac
False Positives Low for CT Lung Cancer Screening
January 27, 2012
Addressing concerns that CT imaging to screen for lung cancer would increase the number of false-positives, researchers found it actually resulted in a low rate for benign nodules.
A study published in the current issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology looked at nearly 5,000 high-risk current and former smokers who had CT of the chest between 2003 and 2009. Biopsies were performed on 127 patients with an overall false-positive rate of 0.42%.
An earlier National Cancer Institute study... Read More »
Harvard Researchers Link Iodine Based Contrast Material to Hyperthyroidism
January 23, 2012
Harvard University researchers have documented a link between iodinated contrast media used in CT scans and hyperthyroidism, based on a report in the January 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital looked at data from nearly 2,000 patients from 1990 to 2010.
While the authors found an association between the commonly-used contrast material and hyperthyroidism, they stop short of advocating policy implications and instead suggest further study.
In an accompanying commentary... Read More »
Posted in ct , research , contrast_media
University of Michigan Helps Develop Low-Impact CT
January 20, 2012
Radiologists at the University of Michigan have been helping to develop a new technology that performs a CT scan at a fraction of the radiation dose required for a conventional CT, according to a press release by the University of Michigan Health System.
GE Healthcare is said to have collaborated with university radiologists over the past decade developing its Veo technology. The breakthrough device uses the equivalent amount of radiation as one or two chest x-rays compared to standard CT scans that can use up to 70 times the... Read More »
Posted in ct , research , dose_monitoring
NeuroLogica Reports Higher Than Expected Sales for Portable CT
January 12, 2012
NeuroLogica says its portable full-body CT scanner named BodyTom is selling better than expected.
The Massachusets-based developer of medical imaging devices said it had raised an additional $12 million to fund higher-than-expected orders, according to an article in the Boston Business Journal.
The BodyTom multi-slice CT scanner gained 501(k) pre-market clearance from the FDA in March. Clinicians can transport the device from room to room similar to existing x-ray machine.
Read More »Posted in ct , imaging_vendor_news
Siemens CT Dose Reduction App Promising for Children
January 10, 2012
Siemens Healthcare showed off its new CT application for dose reduction specifically for children at the Congress of the International Society of Pediatric Radiology in London.
The new technology is said to scan infants in less than a second at a dose of less than one milisevert, according to a report in ExpressHealthcare.in.
Up until advances in dose reduction, CT was rarely used on children and infants. Close to 8 million CT examinations were performed on pediatric patients in the U.S. per year, according to... Read More »
Posted in ct , imaging_vendor_news , research , pediatric
Cancer Screening Increases with Virtual Colonography Over Colonoscopy
January 05, 2012
It’s no surprise that men would prefer not to receive a colonoscopy, but just how much they prefer the alternative CT colonography was the subject of a study in the current issue of The Lancet.
Researchers found a 55% improvement in screening compliance with the non-invasive virtual colonography over colonoscopy. The study looked... Read More »
Posted in medicare , ct , acr , research
WellPoint to Cover Lung CT for Heavy Smokers
December 02, 2011
Indianapolis-based insurer WellPoint is first out of the gate among the nation’s insurers in deciding to cover low-dose CT screening for lung cancer in heavy smokers, company spokesperson Jill A. Becher confirmed to ImagingBiz today.
CT screening for lung cancer is recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, but is not yet recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the National Cancer Institute, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American Thoracic Society. As a result, Medicare, Medicaid and all major private payors have up until now... Read More »
Posted in ct , reimbursement
Proposed Rule Would Limit Multi-Procedure Payment Reductions
October 31, 2011
A rule that strikes back against imaging cuts advocated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) was introduced last week in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Pete Olson (R-TX) and Betty McCollum (D-MN).
Co-sponsored by 31 House members, the proposed rule — known as the Diagnostic Imaging Services Protection Act (Bipartisan H.R. 3269) — would take effect next year and would prohibit any multiple procedure payment reduction to the “professional component” of CT, MRI, and ultrasound exams received by the same patient, on the same day, in the same setting. It is a... Read More »
Posted in medicare , ct , reimbursement , acr , ultrasound , mri , health_care_policy_news , legislation , medicaid , physician_compensation
JAMA Finding Lends Support to Using Chest CT for Lung Cancer Screening
October 28, 2011
Hospital-based radiology departments that began offering discounted chest CTs to current and ex-smokers who could pay cash for the procedure may have been right. New research published in JAMA indicates that the standard insurance-covered annual chest x-rays do little if anything to actually reduce lung cancer death rates.
A separate NEJM published study indicated that chest CTs could lower the death rate as much as 20 percent. Acting on this finding, large and well-respected hospitals have jumped on offering discounted chest CTs as a for-cash alternative to the standard annual chest X-rays. These hospitals include: Abbott Northwestern Hospital... Read More »
Posted in ct , marketing , research , hospital_administration
Loss Leader? Low-Cost CT for Smokers Gains Popularity
August 19, 2011
With new research showing that CT scans may help in the early detection of lung-cancer in current or former smokers, hospitals are increasingly offering steeply discounted CT scans to patients for cash, reports Kaiser Health News (KHN).
Because CT screening for lung cancer is typically not covered by insurance, patients must pay out of pocket for the scans. Hospitals are facilitating the scanning by dropping the cost of the test to amounts most middle class consumers can easily afford. According to KHN, St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem, Pa., offered a clip-out coupon for a $49 procedure and... Read More »
Study Links Increased CT Scan Usage,Lower Hospital Admission Rates
August 10, 2011
A new study shows a correlation between volume of CT scans administered to hospital admission rates, with the latter falling as the former increase.
According to the study, which was published online in the August 9 issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine, the use of CT scans in emergency departments increased by 330% between 1996 and 2007, from 3.2% of patient visits to 13.9% of patient visits. Rates of growth were highest for patients with symptoms that can be indicative of life-threatening emergencies, including abdominal pain, flank pain, chest pain, and shortness of breath.
But just as CT scan usage rates... Read More »
Posted in ct
Study Pinpoints Techniques for CT Radiation Dose Reduction
August 03, 2011
Such techniques as lower tube current, automatic exposure control, and reduced tube voltage rank among keys to significantly reducing radiation dose from CT of the head, paranasal sinuses, and spine, according to a study published in the current issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
In the study, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Johns Hopkins University note that radiation dose reduction from using these techniques is possible in adults and children alike. Moreover, despite the increasing use of MRI rather than CT when feasible, the latter remains an important tool,... Read More »
Posted in ct , dose_monitoring
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