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.

Biopsy before ablation has no cost advantage over both-at-once approach
Established guidelines recommend biopsying small tumors of the kidney ahead of any procedure to ablate them. A new study confirms the validity of pursuing another pathway.
Same-day discharge after interventional radiology procedure saves money without impacting outcomes
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with bed space at a premium, UAB Medicine started sending patients home after percutaneous cryoablation of renal tumors.
Collaborative bolsters prostate MRI quality, with 1 site realizing $559,000 in reimbursement gains
Some of the most commonly deployed interventions included protocol adjustments, standardized patient prep instructions and personnel training.
IAEA: When selecting medical imaging equipment, don’t assume ‘new’ means ‘low dose’
Advanced imaging equipment using ionizing radiation enters the global market at the rate of one new technology every five years.
American College of Radiology adds 6 new topics to its influential imaging appropriateness criteria
The update covers scenarios such as thoracic back pain (where imaging usually isn't appropriate) and penetrating torso trauma (which sometimes requires X-rays or CT).

Recall rates increase when reading radiologists work with trainees, but not cancer detection

When reading radiologists interpret mammograms with trainees, the recall rate (RR) increases, but the cancer detection rate (CDR) is unaffected, according to a recent study published by the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Do reading radiologists allow themselves to be negatively influenced by trainees? 

February 29, 2016

Joint Commission announces revised requirements for diagnostic imaging

The Joint Commission has announced revised requirements for diagnostic imaging services, clarifying who is and is not qualified to perform diagnostic CT procedures. 

February 26, 2016

Radiology’s reinvention: 4 lessons from the management consulting industry

It’s no secret that radiology is at a turning point in 2016. The industry is rapidly shifting toward a focus on quality-based healthcare, and radiologists are doing everything in their power to define and demonstrate the value of their services. According to a recent analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, this puts radiologists in a unique position within the healthcare industry. 

February 2, 2016

Value-based care nothing new for women’s imaging

The move toward value-based care is one of radiology’s most talked-about topics, but according to a recent editorial in the American Journal of Roentgenology, it’s just another day in the office for women’s imaging.  

January 26, 2016

4 essential things radiologists should know about physics in medical imaging

Ehsan Samei, PhD, Duke Clinical Imaging Physics Group, Duke University Medical Center, tackled this subject in a web-exclusive commentary for the American Journal of Roentgenology. Samei explained that understanding physics in imaging is “of crucial importance,” but trainees are being expected to know more and more as the industry continues to evolve.

January 15, 2016

ACR 2016: Influential patient advocate to deliver annual Moreton Lecture

The American College of Radiology (ACR) announced this week that patient advocate Andy DeLaO is scheduled to deliver the Moreton Lecture at ACR 2016 in Washington, D.C. DeLaO—also known online as @CancerGeek—is expected to discuss ways physicians can add value to a patient’s medical experience. 

January 13, 2016

Infinx, Canopy Partners working together to fix ICD-10 coding issues

Infinx announced this week that it is collaborating with Canopy Partners to assist the radiology market with handling ICD-10 coding issues. 

January 12, 2016

Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute presents new coding system for data

A new resource developed by the American College of Radiology’s Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute allows researchers to organize medical imaging data from claim databases into numerous categories. 

December 17, 2015

Around the web

Cardiovascular Business

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.

Cardiovascular Business

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.

Cardiovascular Business

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.

Quality

Biopsy before ablation has no cost advantage over both-at-once approach

Same-day discharge after interventional radiology procedure saves money without impacting outcomes

Collaborative bolsters prostate MRI quality, with 1 site realizing $559,000 in reimbursement gains

IAEA: When selecting medical imaging equipment, don’t assume ‘new’ means ‘low dose’

American College of Radiology adds 6 new topics to its influential imaging appropriateness criteria

Around the web