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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CMS: Baltimore hospital violated EMTALA by leaving patient at bus stop

The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) in Baltimore has been cited for several violations on patient rights and hospital regulations after leaving a patient wearing only a hospital gown at a bus stop in January.

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Harvard dominates in US News medical school rankings

Of the nine categories included in the 2019 Best Medical Schools rankings released by U.S. News and World Report, Harvard University either tied or placed alone at No. 1 in eight of them—the sole exception being the primary care category.

When radiologists initiate verbal communication, patients are more likely to receive recommended imaging follow-up

Radiologists can increase the likelihood that patients receive outpatient imaging follow-up for findings indeterminate for malignancy by initiating verbal communication, according to a new study published by the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

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Researchers reduce radiation dose to lens during neck CT examinations by 89%

A team of researchers from the National Institutes of Health was able to significantly reduce radiation dose to the lens and other radiosensitive organs during neck CT examinations by making straightforward modifications to both the imaging equipment and the patient’s positioning, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

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DBT screenings have higher cancer-detection rates, fewer false positives than 2D mammography

DBT screenings have higher cancer-detection rates, fewer false positives than 2D mammography

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APMs can create problems for vulnerable populations

Patients with disabilities or living in poverty have poorer health outcomes and higher costs. Theoretically, alternative payment models (APMs) could encourage providers to better coordinate care for vulnerable populations and improve their outcomes—but they also have the potential to harm these patients, according to Karen Joynt Maddox, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine at Washington University in St. Louis.

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Cognitive bias and medical imaging: 3 things every radiologist should know

Heuristics, or mental shortcuts based on past experiences, can help decisionmakers get things done at a rapid rate—but they can also lead to cognitive bias and significant mistakes. A new study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology examined how heuristics and cognitive bias impact image interpretation in radiology.

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Investments in imaging equipment help small Louisiana hospital make a big impact on its community

Sponsored by Hitachi Healthcare Americas

West Feliciana Hospital (WFH) has been serving patients in the small town of St. Francisville, Louisiana, since 1970, but its imaging capabilities were limited for a long time. As a result, the hospital gained a bit of a reputation among referring physicians in the area—when in doubt, they would just avoid WFH altogether and send patients more than 30 miles away to Baton Rouge.