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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3 ways radiologists can provide transgender patients with compassionate care

Transgender patients often face unique challenges when accessing healthcare such as stigmatization and discrimination. A new analysis published in the American Journal of Roentgenology addressed what imaging leaders and radiologists can do to prevent this from happening and provide compassionate care.

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FDA clears Canon’s ‘ultra-high resolution’ CT system

Tustin, California-based Canon Medical Systems USA announced April 9 that it’s new Aquilion Precision ultra-high-resolution CT system has been cleared by the FDA. According to the company release, the system can improve resolution of traditional CT exams, being able to resolve anatomy as small as 150 microns.

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As subspeciality rates climb, the majority of American radiologists remain generalists

It’s becoming clear that subspecialization is an upward trend in radiology, but the majority of practicing radiologists—55 percent of those in the U.S.—remain generalists, researchers announced in a recent study.

Philadelphia practice claims to reduce CT radiation dose by 40%

One Philadelphia-based medical center claims to have discovered a method that can decrease radiation dose during CT scans by 40 percent, CBS Philly has reported.

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Novel PET radioligand shows potential to assess Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s

A radiopharmaceutical tool developed by German and Swiss scientists has the potential to guide and assess treatment of neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis with PET imaging.

CDC: ‘Nightmare bacteria’ hitting U.S. hospitals

In 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found 221 instances of “unusual resistance germs” which can cause infections untreatable by antibiotics and spread that resistance to other germs. This “nightmare bacteria,” as the CDC called it, means hospitals and other healthcare facilities need to take “early and aggressive” action whenever a single case is found within their walls.

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ACA improved certain outcomes, increased utilization among previously uninsured

For people who qualify for subsidies to buy health coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the law led not only to expansions in the insured population but better access to care and more diagnoses of conditions like hypertension and high cholesterol.

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Delivering meals to vulnerable patients may reduce ED visits

People who are “food insecure” and also have chronic conditions can be kept out of the hospital and the emergency department (ED) when meals are delivered to their homes—particularly meals that have been tailored to their needs by a dietitian.