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.

Family of heart patient who died awarded $45M after suing health system for negligence
The 55-year-old patient woke up experiencing chest pain one morning and an ambulance was called. He was dead just a few hours later. His family's lawsuit argued that delays in care, communication errors and other issues were directly responsible for his death.
How to score accreditation for a radiotherapy theranostics program
Wes Folds, a PET specialist with the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission, discusses a new nuclear offering from IAC.
Referrers want more structured radiology reports
Ordering physicians believe templated reporting more clearly communicates impressions regarding neuro patients, which often require more complex workups and management.
Quality of care for heart patients does not improve in first year of ACO participation
Researchers tracked patient outcomes through the use of 15 performance measures related to hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure and atrial fibrillation.
American Heart Association program leads to substantial improvements in stroke care
Cardiologist Gregg Fonarow, MD, reviewed decades of data and discussed the long-term impact of the AHA's Get With The Guidelines-Stroke program.

Measures associated with hospital readmission of pancreatitis patients

Beyond readmission, 32.9% of patients with increased pancreatic necrosis volumes required additional invasive interventions.

MRI confirmed as gold standard for pre-biopsy detection of prostate cancer—but that’s ‘not the end of the story’

A clinical trial pitting MRI against a burgeoning PET/CT technique has found the de facto defending champion better at revealing the presence of any grade of prostate cancer.

Low back imaging: All-in-one MR makes strong showing vs. added CT

Two emerging MRI techniques show promise as all-in-one imaging tests for patients with pain in and below the lower back due to changes in the sacroiliac joint.

Radiology operation loses standing to provide mammography services

The FDA is warning patients and referrers about an imaging business near the nation’s capital that has fumbled away its mammography accreditation.

Big private payer reverses course on cardiac PET/CT coverage

One of the largest private health insurers in the U.S. has gone from considering hybrid PET/CT for cardiac indications “experimental/investigational” to displaying willingness to pay for the modality.

A narrow miss for AI trained to find pacemakers on X-rays for MRI safety

A convolutional neural network has achieved 99.67% accuracy at flagging the presence of pacemakers on chest radiographs in patients referred for MRI.

'One-stop-shop' CT protocol saves time, reduces radiation needed for acute stroke imaging

The protocol does not come at the expense of deteriorated image quality, according to work published recently in the European Journal of Radiology.

Catheter-directed thrombolysis boosts survival rates for submassive pulmonary embolism

The new meta-analysis included data from nearly 10,000 patients.

Quality

Family of heart patient who died awarded $45M after suing health system for negligence

How to score accreditation for a radiotherapy theranostics program

Referrers want more structured radiology reports

Quality of care for heart patients does not improve in first year of ACO participation

American Heart Association program leads to substantial improvements in stroke care