Cardiac Imaging

While cardiac ultrasound is the widely used imaging modality for heart assessments, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear imaging are also used and are often complimentary, each offering specific details about the heart other modalities cannot. For this reason the clinical question being asked often determines the imaging test that will be used.

For almost nine years since the adoption of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) established the requirement for appropriate use criteria (AUC) to receive payment for advanced diagnostic imaging, the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) has lobbying Congressional leaders change or repeal AUC mandate. Those efforts have paid off in the 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule, where AUC program has been paused and all of its regulations were rescinded. Photo by Dave Fornell.

Medicare drops AUC requirement for advanced imaging, ASNC celebrates

"This was an unneeded burden, which was solely adding to the administrative hassles of medicine," said American Society of Nuclear Cardiology President Larry Phillips.

April 8, 2024
commercial health insurance

Cardiology, radiology groups urge insurance provider to rethink imaging policy

SCAI and four other major healthcare organizations signed a joint letter in support of intravascular ultrasound. 

April 3, 2024
Avicenna.AI, a French artificial intelligence (AI) startup co-founded by a radiologist, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for two new offerings designed to automatically identify cardiovascular findings in CT scans, CINA-iPE and CINA-ASPECTS.

Radiology AI company gains FDA clearance for new CT offerings focused on PE, stroke

The newly approved AI models are designed to improve the detection of pulmonary embolisms and strokes in patients who undergo CT scans.

March 26, 2024
Powering down angiography and fluoroscopy systems at night and on weekends could significantly reduce cardiology department energy bills, new study finds.Photo by Jose Arellano

Going green in the cath lab makes economic sense

New research explored the potential savings of turning off angiography systems at night and on weekends.

March 22, 2024
Breast arterial calcifications (BACs) identified on screening mammograms may help identify women who face a heightened risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a new analysis published in Clinical Imaging.

Incidental breast calcifications on mammograms linked to much higher risk of cardiovascular disease

These findings may say a lot more about a patient's long-term health than clinicians realized. 

March 18, 2024
Using computed tomography (CT) to perform coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring can help identify symptomatic chest pain patients who do not require further testing, according to a new analysis published in Radiology.[1]

Coronary calcium scoring predicts when chest pain patients can skip invasive testing

Using CT to perform coronary artery calcium scoring on symptomatic chest pain patients can deliver significant value, according to a new data published in Radiology

March 6, 2024
Kate Hanneman, MD, University Of Toronto, explains why vendors and hospitals are increasingly discussing lowing their carbon footprint by starting with radiology. 

What does radiology have to do with climate change?

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."

March 1, 2024
The new Philips Healthcare CT 5300 system is aimed at the cardiac CT market and incorporates AI features to improve image quality and workflow. #ECR #YesCCT #CCTA

Philips launches new AI-enabled CT scanner aimed at cardiology at ECR 2024

Philips introduced a new CT system at ECR aimed at the rapidly growing cardiac CT market, incorporating numerous AI features to optimize workflow and image quality.

March 1, 2024

Around the web

"This was an unneeded burden, which was solely adding to the administrative hassles of medicine," said American Society of Nuclear Cardiology President Larry Phillips.

SCAI and four other major healthcare organizations signed a joint letter in support of intravascular ultrasound. 

The newly approved AI models are designed to improve the detection of pulmonary embolisms and strokes in patients who undergo CT scans.

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