Here we go again: In a replay of the early, heady days when HMOs and managed-care models blurred the lines between payor and provider, we are again seeing health-care consolidation on a dizzying scale—which is almost obliterating that line completely. Two recent deals are emblematic of both the movement toward integrating into new models of care

Health care expenditures may be spiraling out of control, but spending on medical devices as a percentage of total U.S. health spending has remained relatively unchanged for the past several decades, according to a study sponsored by the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed).

In another step for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, announced in 2009 by Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Las Vegas radiologist Rakesh Nathu, MD, has agreed to pay the U.S. government $5.7 million plus interest to settle allegations that he

PET imaging may help identify findings in brain tissue associated with Alzheimer's disease, according to two studies published online first by Archives of Neurology.

Competing timelines to meet federal requirements, complex systems integration, uncertainties surrounding accountable care organizations (ACOs), and other issues continue to pose challenges to the adoption of health information exchanges (HIEs). However, progress is indeed being made, reveals a recent survey of 225 HIEs by the eHealth Initiative, a

BR38, a new microbubble-based blood pool agent for contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging, offers promise for non-cardiac and cardiac applications, including myocardial perfusion imaging, according to a study in the August issue of Investigative Radiology.

Nuance Communications Inc., a Burlington, Mass.-based provider of transcription services, has acquired Webmedx Inc., of Atlanta, Ga., for an undisclosed amount. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Webmedx offers transcription and editing services and clinical documentation technology for hospitals and clinics.

The ability to access online decision support solutions from within a PACS environment increases radiologists’ use of these tools, reveals a study in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. However, integrated access must be provided upon system deployment rather than down the road.