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.

Microscope add-on could be a game-changer for 2D, 3D brain imaging

Researchers have developed an add-on for laser-scanning microscopes that can improve the quality of 2D and 3D imaging of the brain, according to a new study published in Optica.

September 13, 2018

PSMA PET may lead to misdiagnosis, unnecessary changes in treatment

PET imaging is a common tool to establish the stage of a patient’s prostate cancer, but new research raises questions about its association with misdiagnosis and unnecessary changes in therapies. Benign tissues in the kidney, bowels and salivary glands may show increased prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) expression, prompting experts to caution against relying solely on PSMA PET.

September 13, 2018

Researchers suggest improved patient care, not screening, responsible for drops in breast cancer mortality

Breast cancer mortality is on the decline, but can that drop be attributed to improved screening policies? According to the team behind a new study published in International Journal of Cancer, better treatment—not screening—is responsible for the shift.

September 12, 2018

Early intervention, revised quality metrics could dampen radiologist burnout

Researchers quantified evidence to identify primary consequences of burnout, including actionable steps for organizations to mitigate its effects, for a new study in JAMA Internal Medicine. Though the research examines physicians as a whole, the conclusions are applicable to medical imaging, where half of all radiologists report symptoms of burnout.

September 7, 2018

ACR asks its members: What do your patients value?

On the American College of Radiology’s Voice of Radiology blog, Melissa Chen, MD, announced plans to build on last year’s survey of patient attitudes toward imaging. ACR will begin to develop a new survey to help define exactly what patients value when interacting with medical imaging professionals.

September 6, 2018
istock-498658278_medium.jpg

Quality over quantity: 8 ways radiology practices can provide value-based care

Radiology’s shift from volume to value began a number of years ago. However, according to a new analysis published in Radiology, it can be challenging for imaging leaders to know how to successfully make that transition within their own practices.

September 5, 2018

Researchers reduce radiation dose of CT-guided PCNB by 92%

Implementing an ultra-low-dose CT protocol during CT-guided percutaneous core needle biopsy (PCNB) can significantly reduce radiation dose while still producing an image quality that is clear enough for biopsy, according to a new study published in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.

August 28, 2018

One Day, Alzheimer’s Will Give Up Its Secrets and Its Harms

It was yet another entry in a familiar medical-news narrative: A big breakthrough in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease gets called into question by subsequent reporting. Only this time the off notes hit while the fanfare was still sounding.

August 24, 2018

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.

Trimed Popup
Trimed Popup