While RIS and PACS have become indispensable components of the electronic health record (EHR), they also pose risks to patient security and data integrity. These risks can range in scope from blaster worms to the curious technologist to just plain carelessness, and steps must be taken to secure the personally identifiable information contained in

A health care provider that is too intent on protecting personally identifiable patient information could take patient privacy beyond the level that is optimal for patient care. At the Children’s Hospital (Denver, Colorado), however, Chris Goodale, radiology data systems administrator, prevented this problem by limiting access to radiology

Imaging information is becoming increasingly mobile: For evidence, look no further than the FDA’s recent approval of an app for the iPod, iPhone, and iPad that allows diagnostic use of MRI, CT, PET, and SPECT exams. With increased connectivity, however, comes an increase in vulnerability. Under pressure to protect all patient health information or

Aging imaging equipment presents a counterintuitive conundrum for facilities: even as a CT or MR system becomes less and less clinically relevant, lacking the features and power of newer models, it becomes more expensive to own and maintain. “In order for imaging equipment to be effective, it has to be utilized,” says Doug Fischer, CEO of Imaging

Comparative-effectiveness research has become the platform for several organizations, including the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER). Based at the Institute for Technology Assessment at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, ICER’s mission is to lead comparative-effectiveness–research innovation through methods that the

Randy Roat says, “The news for radiology could be worse.” Roat, vice president of radiology services for Medical Management Professionals, Inc. (MMP), Atlanta, Georgia, refers to the reimbursement changes contained in the 2011 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). “Counterintuitively, almost every single one of the imaging RVUs was raised,” he

From a transactions perspective, 2010 was marked by a frenzy of imaging-center acquisitions on the part of hospitals. A number of factors came together to create the perfect storm of a buyer’s market for imaging centers, including uncertainty surrounding health-care reform and the opportunity for cash-strapped hospitals to augment the bottom line

It’s a challenge faced by hospitals and imaging centers alike: Upon implementing a new piece of imaging technology and under pressure to maximize utilization as quickly as possible, raising awareness among the patients most likely to take advantage of that technology becomes critical. This also represents a messaging challenge: How do you most