Imaging Informatics

Imaging informatics (also known as radiology informatics, a component of wider medical or healthcare informatics) includes systems to transfer images and radiology data between radiologists, referring physicians, patients and the entire enterprise. This includes picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), wider enterprise image systems, radiology information. systems (RIS), connections to share data with the electronic medical record (EMR), and software to enable advanced visualization, reporting, artificial intelligence (AI) applications, analytics, exam ordering, clinical decision support, dictation, and remote image sharing and viewing systems.

Key trends in enterprise imaging
Radiology is going though a period of disruption with a growing radiologist shortage, decreasing reimbursements and increasing numbers of exams, making workflow efficiency a critical concern.
Reads completed on 'less sophisticated' monitors have radiology group refuting claims of billing fraud in court
The suit claims the group wrongfully billed CMS for over $6 million in image reads that did not qualify for Medicare reimbursement due to the subpar computer monitors used to view the studies.
Radiologist-founded technology startup Smart Reporting raises $25M
Munich, Germany-based TVM Capital Life Science led the Series C financing round with additional contributions from Bayern Kapital and existing investors.
Small practices left vulnerable after Change Healthcare cyberattack, with some considering bankruptcy
"These survey data show, in stark terms, that practices will close because of this incident," said AMA President Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD.
Aycan introduces a 'mini' PACS for independent practices
The enterprise imaging system is equipped with basic features for storage and sharing, with the option to upgrade.

An example of an FDA cleared radiology AI algorithm to automatically take a cardiac CT scan and identify, contour and quantify soft plaque in the coronary arteries. The Cleerly software then generates an automated report with images, measurements and a risk assessment for the patient. This type of quantification is too time consuming and complex for human readers to bother with, but AI assisted reports like this may become a new normal over the next decade. Example from Cleerly Imaging at SCCT 2022.

Legal considerations for artificial intelligence in radiology and cardiology

There are now more than 520 FDA-cleared AI algorithms and the majority are for radiology and cardiology, raising the question of who is liable if the AI gets something wrong.

February 3, 2023

AI program ChatGPT now has a published article in Radiology—is it any good?

The human author reviewing the article wrote about the benefits and inherent risks of utilizing AI in a medical publication setting, concluding that, overall, it could be “a powerful tool” used in the future of medical publishing—when used with caution.

February 2, 2023

VIDEO: Who gets sued when radiology AI fails?

Brent Savoie, MD, JD, vice chair for radiology informatics, section chief of cardiovascular imaging, Vanderbilt University, explains who will get sued when there is a misdiagnosis due to artificial intelligence (AI).

February 2, 2023

Example of a cardiovascular information system (CVIS) cath lab reporting module with a coronary tree model that will auto complete sections of the report based on how the cardiologist modifies the model. Image from the ScImage booth at ACC 2022. Photo by Dave Fornell

VIDEO: 4 key trends in cardiovascular information systems, according to Signify Reseach

Signify Research shares the latest big trends in cardiovascular IT systems, including the role of EMR cardiology modules vs. third-party CVIS, structured reporting, integration into enterprise imaging and inclusion of ambulatory surgical centers.

February 1, 2023

The American Hospital Association (AMA) is warning healthcare systems the Russians may attempt cyber attacks amid rising tensions of the war in Ukraine and the international community's response. #Ukraine #warinukraine #ukrainewar

VIDEO: How to prepare hospitals for ransomware attacks

John Gaede, director of information systems, Sky Lakes Medical Center, Oregon, discusses how hospitals should prepare for possible cyberattacks.

January 24, 2023

I stack of more than 300 computers with cyberattack infected hard drives at Sky Lakes Medical Center, Oregon, discusses how the hospitals IT team overcame a ransomware attack in 2020 during the height of COVID that took down their entire network and how radiology recovered within two weeks..

VIDEO: How radiology was restored after a ransomware attack at Sky Lakes Medical Center in Oregon

John Gaede, director of information systems, Sky Lakes Medical Center, Oregon, discusses how the hospital's IT team overcame a ransomware attack in 2020 and restored radiology in about two weeks.

January 23, 2023

Example of artificial intelligence generated measurements to quantify the size of a lung cancer nodule during a followup CT scan to see if the lesion is regressing with treatment. This type of automation can aid radiologists by doing the tedious, time consuming work. Photo by Dave Fornell

8 trends in radiology technology to watch in 2023

Here is a list of some key trends in radiology technology from our editors based on our coverage of the radiology market.

January 18, 2023

How EHR 'choice architecture' for imaging could be wasting time and money

When choosing and implementing an electronic health record system, it is important to consider how the system’s architecture might affect providers’ decision-making.

January 10, 2023

Imaging Informatics

Key trends in enterprise imaging

Reads completed on 'less sophisticated' monitors have radiology group refuting claims of billing fraud in court

Radiologist-founded technology startup Smart Reporting raises $25M

Small practices left vulnerable after Change Healthcare cyberattack, with some considering bankruptcy

Aycan introduces a 'mini' PACS for independent practices