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.

Which LLM is best for explaining radiology results?
With patients gaining access to imaging reports earlier than ever, it's critical they have access to large language models that can accurately summarize the results.
Mammography services suspended at 2 hospitals following ACR review
A news release indicates the suspensions are due to breast images not meeting the college's clinical quality standards.
Significant variability found in pediatric CT imaging interpretations
Such discordance between pediatric and general radiologists could result in care delays and treatment changes.
Medicare releases guidance on new model targeting ‘wasteful’ radiology procedures
CMS explains how IR specialists can submit prior authorization requests to the federal payment program for seniors, including what evidence is required.
Beyond just nodules—model uses all low-dose CT data to make long-term lung cancer risk predictions
New findings published in RSNA's Radiology highlight the shortcomings of using nodule characteristics and patient history alone to predict an individual’s true cancer risk.

Where does your state place on hospital safety?

Maine has topped all states in two separate five-year categories of hospital safety—percentage of “A” grade hospitals (57.1%) and average annual placement in these rankings (3.63). How did your state do?

FDA set to resume regular imaging site inspections beginning July 20

“In order to move to the next phase, we must see downward trends in new cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations in a given area,” advised Commissioner Stephen Hahn, MD.

How radiologists can avoid becoming a ‘ghost in a dark room,' take ownership of patients

This entails assuming responsibility for each individual, avoiding excuses and resolving to make things right, ACR President Debra Monticciolo, MD, shared in recent remarks.

CMS to grant hardship relief for radiologists in the 2020 Merit-Based Incentive Program

Providers who have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic can now submit an Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Application outlining their challenges.

Law change alone not enough to close abnormal imaging-findings care gap, study finds

That’s according to a new analysis of care at one imaging department since Pennsylvania passed the “Patient Test Result Information Act" in 2018.

Survey explores the top 3 quality metrics on radiology practices’ radars, and how they’re used

Turnaround time is radiology groups' most commonly used quality metric, according to a preliminary survey of nearly 200 providers.

Radiologist house-call program drops ED visits by 77%, with patient satisfaction scores soaring

Hospital readmissions have also plummeted by 50% among a population of more than 1,000 seniors, experts detailed during the Society of Interventional Radiology’s virtual meeting.

Retracted hydroxychloroquine study leads health journals to rethink data sharing

Two major journals in the healthcare space are reviewing what happened and how to move forward with data requirements after a controversial study on the impact of hydroxychloroquine led to a retraction and backlash.

Quality

Which LLM is best for explaining radiology results?

Mammography services suspended at 2 hospitals following ACR review

Significant variability found in pediatric CT imaging interpretations

Medicare releases guidance on new model targeting ‘wasteful’ radiology procedures

Beyond just nodules—model uses all low-dose CT data to make long-term lung cancer risk predictions