Business Intelligence

Providers utilize business intelligence to monitor referral patterns and collaborate with clinicians who order their services. Such analytics tools have also been deployed in the specialty to improve productivity, track patient satisfaction and bolster quality.

Healthcare AI today: AI-enabled layoffs, following the AI money, AI to unscrew healthcare, more
A network of more than 100 clinics is leveraging AI to lay off more than 175 of its 2,500 or so nonclinical staff by early November.
Data-blocking antitrust lawsuit against Epic can move forward, judge rules
Epic’s attempt to have a lawsuit filed by startup Particle Health dismissed was unsuccessful. However, a U.S. district court judge narrowed the claims and rejected accusations that Epic engaged in defamation.
Employer-sponsored health plans to see 7% jump in premiums, survey finds
Consulting firm Mercer said employers are prepared to deploy cost-cutting measures, including better management of high-cost claims. However, Americans who get insurance through their workplace are likely to face higher out-of-pocket expenses, such as co-pays and deductibles.
Healthcare AI today: Healthcare AI on Capitol Hill, hospital leadership’s eye on AI, publicly traded AI recalls, more
AI could appreciably improve the delivery of healthcare services to patients—if only people trusted it. For many, the difference-maker would be nicely crafted federal regulations.
FDA designates recall of Hamilton breathing circuits a Class I
Two lots of breathing circuits manufactured by Hamilton Medical have a defect that could cause the tubing to splinter. The affected devices must be quarantined, as they cannot be safely used on patients.

Calgary Scientific Joins Hitachi Technology Alliance

Canada’s Calgary Scientific Inc. has become a member of the Health and Life Sciences Technology Alliance Partner (TAP) program of Hitachi Data Systems

FDA Approves Updated Varian Radiation Therapy System

Varian Medical Systems’ updated ProBeam™ proton therapy system can now be marketed in the United States

Medicare Will Reveal Individual Physician Payments

CMS has published rules on how it will comply with requests for the actual dollar amounts it has paid to individual physicians

MedPAC Recommends Equalizing Many HOPPS and MPFS Charges

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has voted unanimously to reduce or eliminate discrepancies in what Medicare pays for services done in hospital outpatient departments versus physician offices and ambulatory surgery centers

Techs Sue Over Alleged Inadequate Radiation Shielding

Five imaging technologists at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge, Tenn., are seeking damage compensation for radiation exposure they say they received from a CT scanner that operated for 7 years without adequate lead shielding in the wall between the scanner and the control room

ACR Names Thorwarth New CEO

William T. Thorwarth, Jr., M.D., FACR, will replace Harvey L. Neiman, M.D., FACR, as CEO of the American College of Radiology (ACR) in April

House Omnibus Budget Deal Rolls Back a Sequester Cut on Imaging Manufacturers

The $1.1 trillion omnibus spending package the House approved on Wednesday restores funding to the FDA for the approval of new medical devices, including advanced medical imaging technologies

Leading Imaging Center Chain CDI Picks Up Two More Locations

Minneapolis-based Center for Diagnostic Imaging (CDI) — the nation’s second largest imaging center chain since it joined with Lake Forest, Calif.-based Insight Imaging in 2012 — has completed acquisition of two more MRI Centers of New England’s locations.

Business Intelligence

Healthcare AI today: AI-enabled layoffs, following the AI money, AI to unscrew healthcare, more

Data-blocking antitrust lawsuit against Epic can move forward, judge rules

Employer-sponsored health plans to see 7% jump in premiums, survey finds

Healthcare AI today: Healthcare AI on Capitol Hill, hospital leadership’s eye on AI, publicly traded AI recalls, more

FDA designates recall of Hamilton breathing circuits a Class I