Case Studies

As the "volume to value" movement reshapes healthcare economics across the U.S., radiology is reminded daily that it is by no means exempt from the new and somewhat nebulous fiscal demands.

Consolidation and change are roiling the healthcare marketplace, and the repercussions are being felt throughout the vendor landscape, including the vibrant imaging IT segment that is so fundamental to the practice of 21st century radiology.

For all its high-tech gadgets, tools, prompts, aids and reminders, the modern radiology report really isn’t all that different from the first of its kind, rendered as a longhand note.

Those who think PACS optimization ends following a successful implementation should think again: Thirteen years after Portland, Ore.-based Legacy Health implemented Synapse PACS, the work is ongoing to keep 50-plus radiologists happy and maximally productive.

Modern cancer care urgently demands new approaches. Lives are at risk, and an ever increasing number of cancer patients and complex examinations constitute more of the radiologist's workload than ever before.

Industry watchers seemed intrigued but not especially surprised when Konica Minolta Medical Imaging announced its acquisition of 100 plus-employee Viztek in early October. The response was understandable, as the fusing was equal parts bold and sensible.

With a single-vendor CT fleet many years in service, Savannah, Ga.-based St. Joseph’s/Candler (SJ/C) health system was a model of customer loyalty.

Achieving unprecedented clinical and business efficiencies. Winning new business. Brandishing vanguard-level technology prowess while employing zero IT staff. Such are the returns mid-size radiology practices are realizing from their selection of the cloud-based, hardware-agnostic IRP/Plexus Imaging Workflow Management system.

Any distributed workflow solution worth its salt helps radiologists work at the top of their clinical skill set, maximize their productivity and fully integrate their workflow with that of the rest of their practice-and, ultimately, with the workflow of the ordering physician, practice or provider organization.

When the merger and acquisition frenzy catches up to your organization, will it cause headaches for your imaging workflows?

As the U.S. shifts further into the era of accountable care, hitting quality benchmarks becomes ever more important. Reimbursement is increasingly tied to the value generated by providers, and data about who is making the grade is becoming more transparent.

Here's a riddle: If every imaging interpretation is labeled stat, are any of them truly stat?