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.

CMS Decision on CTC Prompts Restrategizing

The CMS decision to retain nonapproval status for CT colonography (CTC) as a screening method for Medicare patients was a bitter pill for radiology to swallow—all the more bitter because, prior to the February 11 decision, the mood had been optimistic. After years of battling on behalf of CTC, researchers and CTC advocates seemed finally to have

Atlas Scanned

In trying to understand the current shift in economic and political winds, I thought it would be helpful to take a new look at a classic depiction of the US capitalist system, as portrayed in one of American fiction’s great works. In Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, protagonist John Galt is the leader of a small group (think top 1% of earners) of early

Reinventing the Radiology Practice

Radiology practices must be nimble enough to reinvent themselves if they are to thrive, according to Fred Gaschen, MBA, CHE. Gaschen, executive vice president of Radiological Associates of Sacramento, Calif, presented "Reinventing Your Radiology Practice" on October 24, 2008, at the Economics of Diagnostic Imaging 2008 National Symposium in

The Weakening Economy and Health Care Collections

One of the overlooked consequences of the current economic uncertainty is the effect on health care collections, but as imaging centers struggle to adapt to the triple witching hour—declining reimbursement, the sour economy, and the increase in consumer-driven health care—effective, efficient collections have become crucial to survival.

Standardizing Mammographic Workflow and Interpretation

Sponsored by FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas

The passage of the Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992 (MQSA) ushered in a new era in breast imaging; with the advent of digital mammography just around the corner, the FDA set about standardizing every aspect of mammographic interpretation, from regulating facilities to developing a unified vocabulary for interpretation and reporting.

Through Thick and Thin: The MGH Search for a 3D Solution

Imagine that you run a large city, and that up until now, the sole transportation available has been buses—but with the price of automobiles coming down, citizens suddenly want to drive cars.

Health Reform's Shortest Era

He came. He saw. He vanished. Just as we health care journalist types were lining up the margins and checking references on our various predictions of what Tom Daschle would bring to the health reform debate and process, he bequeathed his White House office to his deputy in waiting. Then, instead of conquering, he promptly left town—for good, it

ACR and RBMA Update on Congressional Activities and Medicare Payment Policies

On December 16, 2008, the RBMA hosted a Webinar to update members on ACR congressional activities and Medicare's payment policies for 2009.