On June 28, the Supreme Court ruled that the individual mandate contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is not unconstitutional, interpreting it as a tax. Based on the mandate, in 2014, US residents will be required to buy health insurance (or will face a tax penalty that will slowly increase over time). Pat Basu, MD,

In many ways, the problem of radiation overexposure still resembles a crime scene. Investigators come in after the fact and attempt to determine what really happened. There is another way, however, according to Charles W. Socia, RT, CIIP, product manager for the information-systems division of FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA—one that focuses on

When it comes to radiation exposure, there is not much on which the medical community agrees. One exception (and point of consensus) is that children are more vulnerable to the effects of radiation than are adults, and therefore, they deserve the highest level of protection available.

In May, the FDA¹ released for public comment a guidance document intended to ensure that manufacturers’ imaging devices are either suited for pediatric use or labeled with a warning that cautions against use in pediatric populations.

A key referrer had not referred any patients to a New York radiology practice in more than a week. This highly unusual circumstance prompted a visit by the radiology practice’s physician liaison, who left the referrer’s office shaking her head in disbelief at the cause of the downturn: The referrer’s staff members had tried to fax orders to the

The need for improving communications in radiology is well understood, but optimizing interactions with referring physicians is where it gets tricky. In a 772-bed tertiary-care teaching hospital and level I trauma center, the call for increased face time must be balanced, supported, and made optimal through the smart use of electronic tools.

High-tech communication in 2012 is undeniably fast and efficient, but does it build trust? Among referring physicians who rely on radiologists, the question transcends the objective nature of science and drifts into the subjective world of personal relationships.

Stephen Chang, MD, discovered his interest in health policy as part of an educational program initiated not by radiology mentors, but by radiology residents. Today, Chang, who is completing his fellowship training in breast and body oncology imaging, is an ACR® Moorefield Economics and Health Policy fellow, but as a resident at Columbia University,