Arlington-based Virginia Hospital Center (VHC) performs nearly 200,000 imaging studies annually, between its cardiology and radiology departments. Behyar Ghahramani, manager of medical systems engineering at VHC, estimates that cardiology accounts for between 45,000 and 50,000 studies a year, while radiology is responsible for 140,000 to 150,000.

In February, the FDA issued a first-of-its-kind clearance for a mobile app for medical imaging, granting radiologists the regulatory go-ahead to interpret CR, MRI, and nuclear-imaging studies remotely on iPhones and iPads if a diagnostic monitor is unavailable. The approval signifies that the growing trend of mobile medicine has finally reached the

On February 10, 2011, Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota) launched its Social Media Health Network, a group aimed at leveraging social media to improve health care. Charter members of the network include Mayo Clinic; Bon Secours Health System (Marriottsville, Maryland); Inova Health System (Falls Church, Virginia); Mission Health System (Asheville,

Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center, Reno, Nevada, first considered a cloud-based platform when its 12–year-old PACS was on its last legs. Facing a significant capital expenditure to replace it with another traditional PACS, the team at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center wondered whether it would be possible to achieve similar or better clinical

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

When Spectrum Medical Group, Portland, Maine, was formed in 1996—living up to its name by bringing together radiologists, pathologists, anesthesiologists, and radiation oncologists—the multispecialty group was already preparing for the difficult market conditions on the horizon: increases in managed care and capitated physician payments. David