Quality

The focus of quality improvement in healthcare is to bolster performance and processes related to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Leaders in this space also ensure the proper selection of imaging exams and procedures, and monitor the safety of services, among other duties. Reimbursement programs such as the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) utilize financial incentives to improve quality. This also includes setting and maintaining care quality initiatives, such as the requirements set by the Joint Commission.

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One nonprofit hospital is aggressively pursuing the poor for medical debts

Methodist University Hospital, based in Memphis, Tennessee, is a nonprofit hospital operator with its own collections agency that ruthlessly pummels low-income patients over unpaid medical bills by taking them to court, according to a sort by ProPublica.

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Patients have more complications when they have a rude doctor

If a coworker of a surgeon complains about their unprofessional behavior in the workplace, patients are more likely to suffer with higher rates of complications, according to a recent study published in JAMA Surgery.

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Additional training helps radiologists interpret screening mammograms

Supplemental training can help radiologists improve their performance when interpreting breast cancer screening examinations, according to a new study published by the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

PI-RADSv2 compliance improves after input from director of prostate imaging

Selecting a staff member to serve as a director of prostate imaging can improve compliance with technical standards and lead to better overall patient care, according to findings published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

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UNC Children’s Hospital suspends complex heart surgeries after media investigation

North Carolina Children’s Hospital has suspended heart surgeries for complex cases in the aftermath of an explosive New York Times investigation that found the hospital’s heart unit had an alarmingly high mortality rate.

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Do faster radiologists make more mistakes?

What is the relationship between a radiologist’s interpretation speed and his or her diagnostic accuracy?

Unenhanced CT provides value for older patients with acute abdominal pain

Unenhanced CT is effective for treating older patients presenting in the emergency department (ED) with acute abdominal pain (AAP), according to new findings published in Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging.

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Are Americans the worst patients in the world?

That’s the question David Freedman tried to answer in an article in The Atlantic, pointing out that the high cost of the U.S. healthcare system could come down to the patients themselves.