Whoever said the only things certain in life are death and taxes never faced an MQSA inspection. Federally mandated in the early ’90s and delegated to the states ever since, the process can seem like a frenetic exercise in reprimand avoidance. However, with a little rethinking and some focused preparation, you can turn the stressful day into an enjoyable experience.

Radiology is one of the most high-tech specialties in medicine. Yet even in 2021, many providers still rely on compact discs (CDs) and cumbersome network connections to share medical images.

For patients with peripheral arterial disease, the mainstay of initial treatment is always risk factor modification, ambulation, and compliance with guideline-based medical therapies. However, for patients who have lifestyle limiting claudication or have progressed to critical limb ischemia (CLI), intervention is warranted.

A recently published nationwide survey of radiology executives elicited insightful responses from leaders, directors, managers and radiologists representing 67 organizations in 24 states. The robust tally suggests broad and keen interest by imaging organizations in establishing IT benchmarks and leveraging technology to improve quality and performance in this era of value-based care.

A recent conversation with a trauma surgeon revealed for me the power of non-DICOM enterprise imaging to improve or even save lives. The surgeon recalled how a patient arrived in the emergency department after suffering what appeared to be minor head injuries in a car accident. A response team led by this physician ran the protocoled exams, found nothing especially concerning and sent the patient home.

In radiology, it is vital for radiologists to connect with the entire patient care team in a seamless and timely manner. Imaging providers have done this over the years through such tools as land lines, pagers, fax machines and integrating with the electronic medical record (EMR). Some radiology practices even have their own secure client portal for this very purpose.

Imaging providers are continuously filling holes in their radiologist coverage schedule. Maybe the only neuroradiologist is out sick, for example, or two-thirds of the staff all want to attend the same conference.

vRad is the world’s largest teleradiology provider, with more than 500 general and subspecialty-trained teleradiologists who read up to 20,000 exams every day. One of the primary drivers behind the company’s success is its continued investment in AI technology. What can this state-of-the-art technology do for radiologists? How can it improve patient care? These are just some of the questions vRad’s team considers on a daily basis.