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.

Self-Referral Bill Reintroduced In Congress

Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA) earlier this week reintroduced to the U.S. House of Representatives the Integrity in Medicare Advance Diagnostic Imaging Act of 2011 (HR 1476), which seeks to close the in-office ancillary service exception (IOASE) for advanced imaging services such as MR, CT and PET. Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) was an

Obama, GOP Butt Heads Over Future Of Medicare

President Barack Obama yesterday outlined his plan for reducing the federal deficit and cutting Medicare costs, noting that unlike the GOP plan, his would "use a scalpel, not the machete.”

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®.