Dhruv Chopra started his career in radiology as a courier for a small practice. His duties included shuttling imaging orders, CDs and radiology reports between the practice, referrers and client imaging centers. He learned to endure city traffic jams like a street-hardened cabbie. Today he’s chief executive officer of a thriving company delivering high-tech solutions to radiology practices of all sizes.
As coronary CT angiography (CCTA) continues its rapid expansion, scanner vendors are now offering more economical solutions to ensure access to imaging technology beyond premium systems most often only found at flagship hospitals and academic centers. To conquer CCTA’s technical challenges, new technologies and AI are being incorporated into a new scanner to simplify acquisition and consistently improve image quality.
Exposure to scatter radiation and orthopedic issues related to years of wearing lead aprons during long EP procedures has led electrophysiologists to seek out new ways to reduce the need for angiographic X-ray.
Advancements in radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation technology have been incremental over the past 30 years in efforts to improve safety, procedural efficiency and patient outcomes. While some newer technologies have gained a lot of attention in electrophysiology (EP) over the past several years, RF remains the solid frontline treatment.
"The onus is on us as cardiologists to make sure we offer the very best possible devices for our patients with the available data that we have," interventional cardiologist Anene Ukaigwe, MD, explained.
Nationwide, imaging operators are beginning to feel the impact of reimbursement cuts from the 2014 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (“MPFS”) primarily associated with Computed Tomography (“CT”) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (“MRI”) modalities.
As the federal meaningful use incentive program has progressed, its direct impact on the practice of radiology has intensified through the addition of provisions specific to the utilization and sharing of medical images.
It’s a question often posed by thought-leaders and end-users in the imaging community: What prevents health IT from working as seamlessly, and with as much interoperability, as the technology that drives banking, travel or e-commerce?
The most common approach to succession planning among radiology practices is no approach at all, according to David Myrice, CPA, MBA, director of practice management for Zotec Partners.
Consolidation in the imaging world is often viewed as problematic—but shifting market forces can create opportunities to improve patients’ access to care, points out Kevin Collins, vice president of product management with Sectra.
The ever changing landscape of outpatient diagnostic imaging is compelling operators to have a keen understanding of market conditions in order to appropriately assess the potential return on investment on capital investments to upgrade or replace major imaging equipment.
