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.

Brain Shrinkage A 10-Year Precursor To Alzheimer’s

Early brain scans may offer a new way to detect Alzheimer’s in patients nearly a decade prior to its diagnosis, an advance that might aid in the development of effective treatments for the disease.

Microsoft Executes HealthVault Upgrade

Microsoft Health Solutions Group today announced the upgrade of its HealthVault Connection Center to support the inclusion of images in online health records maintained by Microsoft HealthVault account-holders.

MedPAC Recommends Prior Authorization For Advanced Imaging

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) on April 7 passed a recommendation that Medicare require clinicians who order more imaging studies than their peers obtain prior authorization for advanced imaging.

HHS Names Mostashari National Health IT Coordinator

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Friday named public health informatics specialist Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, to replace David Blumenthal, MD as national coordinator for health IT, effective immediately.

Inspection Uncovers Over-Radiation Of Infants

In the latest incidence of patient over-radiation reported by the media in recent months, the New York Times today reports a discovery by state health inspectors of nearly two dozen cases in which preterm babies received "improper" X-rays at a Brooklyn, New York hospital. The findings came to light only a few months after an initial report revealed

ACR Releases New Appropriateness Criteria

New evidence-based guidelines to help health care providers choose the most appropriate medical imaging exam for a patient’s clinical condition are now available via the latest version of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Appropriateness Criteria®.

Health Care Sector Eventful, Yet Stable In 2010

Last year was an “eventful, yet stable” one for the U.S. health care sector as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was enacted and certain provisions of the bill took effect, according to a new report issued by Fitch Ratings.

GE Surface Coils Get Thumbs-Up From FDA

GE Healthcare yesterday announced that it has obtained clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Geometry Embracing Method (GEM) Suite of surface coils. Designed for use with the company’s Optima™ MR450w 1.5T wide bore MRI system, GEM Suite is said to help technologists reposition patients less often and cover more anatomy