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.

Emergency head CT use has more than doubled over last decade
A new analysis suggests approximately 1 out of every 10 patients presenting to the ED will complete a head CT during their visit.
MRI patients willing to commute farther for clinics that use low-dose GBCAs
Data suggest most patients in need of contrast-enhanced MR imaging would prefer lower dose alternatives. Some are willing to go well out of their way to achieve that.
Telix says new kidney cancer imaging agent alters treatment plans for 50% of patients
The positive findings come after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration previously shared concerns related to sterility assurance issues during the drug’s production.
Siemens Healthineers issues correction for MRI systems affected by recent Class 1 recall
On Aug. 28, Siemens alerted customers about safety issues with nine different scanners from its Magnetom series of MRI offerings.
New data highlight 'systemic inconsistencies' in documentation of contrast reactions
Although uncommon and typically not life-threatening, hypersensitivity reactions have increased in recent decades alongside the significant rise in CT use.

EHR nudge helps health system drop use of unnecessary lumbar X-rays by 53%

Researchers with NYC Health + Hospitals detailed their large-scale quality improvement project in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

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Private equity-backed healthcare services bring more harm than good to patients, report reveals

Given the rapid growth of PE ownership in healthcare, the report's concerning data give pause to how such entities should be regulated, experts involved in the work suggested.

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Evidence supporting use of radiomics is 'insufficient' and 'weak,' according to new meta-analysis

Although the predictive power of radiomics has been touted as a tool that could improve patient outcomes, the method has a long way to go before it can be reliably introduced into real-world clinical environments.

Only 38% of patients receive appropriate follow-up care for incidental pulmonary nodules

The findings were derived from 2,500 cases diagnosed between 2018-2019 at an urban tertiary care center and followed for two years afterward.

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Appropriate use of imaging proven teachable during medical ed

Radiology education researchers have created an image-intensive online course for third- and fourth-year medical students wishing to learn radiology remotely.

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Physician assistants order imaging at rates higher than primary care doctors

Measures to optimize the value of radiology services will be necessary as the strained PCP workforce is increasingly augmented by other providers, experts wrote in JACR.

Nonphysician practitioners' growing role in imaging interpretations

It has long been known that NPPs increase utilization of radiology services, but new data indicate that they also are increasingly taking on more imaging interpretation responsibilities.

Lumbar MRI exam duration cut in half using deep learning-based reconstruction algorithm

And the improved scan times did not come at the expense of image quality but, instead, offered improved signal-to-noise ratio, according to a new study in Skeletal Radiology.

Quality

Emergency head CT use has more than doubled over last decade

MRI patients willing to commute farther for clinics that use low-dose GBCAs

Telix says new kidney cancer imaging agent alters treatment plans for 50% of patients

Siemens Healthineers issues correction for MRI systems affected by recent Class 1 recall

New data highlight 'systemic inconsistencies' in documentation of contrast reactions