What are Virtual Radiology Rounds?
Virtual discussion of imaging studies improves patient care and promotes new skills among radiologists, researchers reportedinPediatric Radiology. Virtual rounds allow radiologists from various facilities around the world to meet and analyze images and clinical matters together without leaving their desks. The study ’s authors from New York University began virtual rounds in 2014so that specialists could connect with radiologists to discuss medical images. By inviting radiologists to weigh in on cases, physicians can learn new perspectives about their patients ’ conditions, and are sometimes shown things they woul...
Source: radRounds - July 13, 2018 Category: Radiology Authors: Julie Morse Source Type: blogs
What ’s Holding Radiology Research Back?
Although research is critical to promoting innovation in radiology, across North America the specialty has struggled to maintain a strong level of academic participation. TheCanadian Association of Radiologists Journalpublished a recent studyfrom McMaster University that has pinpointed the factors that have deterred radiologists from engaging and conducting sufficient research.Radiology residents face numerous barriers when it comes to completing research, including lack of mentorship, time constraints, “personal disinterest, lack of program support, and little to no training in design and statistical analysis,” acco...
Source: radRounds - July 13, 2018 Category: Radiology Authors: Julie Morse Source Type: blogs
What Should You Do When Your Hospital Bills You Nearly $4,000 for a CT Scan?
A middle-aged Mississippi man has fallen victim to the trappings of the U.S. ’s overly-complex medical billing system. Jimmie Taggart, a financial consultant, was billed $3,878.25 for a CT scan earlier this year and is now refusing to pay.Taggart ’s doctor at the North Mississippi Medical Center recommended he undergo a CT scan after a urine test indicated he had kidney stones. Before agreeing to the scan, Taggart was assured by the medical center that his insurance would cover the procedure.Later on, a bill came in the mail stating that the scan cost $5,171 but his provider, Aetna, indicated that its in-network negoti...
Source: radRounds - July 7, 2018 Category: Radiology Authors: Julie Morse Source Type: blogs
Saving the Generalist from Extinction
As the number of radiologist fellowships are growing, the need to reexamine the role of the generalist radiologist has become more pressing. According to researchers at Emory University ’s department of radiology and imaging services, radiologist sub-specialists are often practicing outside of their specialty.In their reportrecently published inJournal of the American College of Radiology, lead author Eric Friedberg, MD, and his colleagues explain that over half of radiologists spend most of their days doing the work of a generalist. “Although opinions exist that general radiologists are best suited for ‘fairly sim...
Source: radRounds - July 7, 2018 Category: Radiology Authors: Julie Morse Source Type: blogs
Should Tablets Be a Staple in Radiology Residencies?
Radiology residents are significantly more motivated, engaged, and efficient when their curriculum is tablet-based says a new studyrecently published inAcademic Radiology. The number of physicians who rely on tablets in clinical settings is rapidly increasing. According to Radiology Business, 79 percent of healthcare workers and 81 percent of radiology residents use tablets. Researchers at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center invited 22 residents to work with iPads that were equipped with the curriculum and online access to radiology textbooks. Residents were asked to use the tablets to complete tasks su...
Source: radRounds - July 7, 2018 Category: Radiology Authors: Julie Morse Source Type: blogs
Using MRI to Help Destroy Tumors
Researchers at the University College London (UCL) have figured out a way to kill lethal brain tumors by using MRI to heat up a magnetic metal “seed” to destroy cancer cells. The groundbreaking science was first introduced at The Cheltenham Science Festival in early June.The seed is injected into the subject ’s bloodstream and navigated toward the cancer. The MRI kills the tumor by heating up the seed. According to a reportfromThe Telegraph, the heat only targets the cancer cells and keeps the surrounding cells and tissue safe. “We can guide it with real precision avoiding any areas that we don’t want to go to...
Source: radRounds - June 29, 2018 Category: Radiology Authors: Julie Morse Source Type: blogs
More MRI Machines = More Happy Patients
The University of Minnesota ’s Clinics and Surgery center will be installing a new MRI as a response to the increasing wait times and high number of patients seeking imaging services.According toThe Minnesota Daily, the Center has experienced a 10 percent increase in MRI appointments each year. Patients typically wait between two to three weeks for their imaging appointments. To prevent long wait lists, the Center has had to extend their hours and book more procedures on Saturdays and Sundays. Around 20,000 MRI procedures are performed each year across the university ’s health centers. They are purchasing a new MRI eve...
Source: radRounds - June 29, 2018 Category: Radiology Authors: Julie Morse Source Type: blogs
Is AI the Future for Cardiovascular Imaging?
Bay Labs, a Bay Area startup that develops AI software to diagnose and manage heart disease, has just received Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance for its EchoMD AutoER product, a “fullyautomated clip selection of left ventricular ejection fraction. ”Ejection Fraction (EF) is the calculation of the amount of blood being pumped from the heart as it contracts. It ’s the most common marker of cardiac function from echocardiograms and is a crucial component during clinical processes.The EchoMD AutoER can be integrated into any DICOM PACS. Bay Labs co-founder and CEO, Charles Cadieu, PhD, expects the technology ...
Source: radRounds - June 29, 2018 Category: Radiology Authors: Julie Morse Source Type: blogs
What is the Financial Impact of Missed Imaging Appointments?
Patients are more likelyto show up to an imaging appointment when it ’s scheduled within a week than when it’s planned at least six months in advance. Academic radiology units are losing approximately $1 million a year to patients missing medical imaging appointments. According to researchers from the University of Washington, the fees lost to no-shows amount to the purchase of one new 3T MR scanner every year.In their study published inCurrent Problems in Diagnostic Radiology, the group of researchers led by Rebecca J. Mieloszyk, PhD, evaluated a sample “average-sized, university-affiliated academic medical center...
Source: radRounds - June 21, 2018 Category: Radiology Authors: Julie Morse Source Type: blogs
Is this Eye Tracking Device the Future of Brain Injury Diagnosis?
The common test for brain injury involves waving a finger back and forth in front of the patient ’s face, and seeing how well they can track it. Instead of relying on such antiquated protocols and standard imaging technology to identify brain injuries, two sisters have developed an eye-tracking device that can diagnose brain trauma.In 2013, Uzma Samadani, MD, PhD, neurosurgeon and associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota and her sister Rosina Samadani, PhD, entrepreneur and biomedical engineer, started Oculogica, a neurodiagnostic company with a focus on eye-tracking devices. Specifically, their...
Source: radRounds - June 21, 2018 Category: Radiology Authors: Julie Morse Source Type: blogs
Understanding the Repercussions of False Positive Breast Cancer Biopsies
A new studyhas found that false positive breast cancer biopsies are costing healthcare facilities over $2.1 billion annually. This high false positive rate and the consequential expenses highlight the need for improved breast cancer diagnostic protocols and technology.Researchers from IBM Watson Health and Seno Medical looked at health care claims filed between 2011 and 2015 from 875,000 women to understand the rate of follow-up procedures after mammography and breast exams. They found that between 2012 and 2015, 8,732,909 patients received diagnostic mammograms, 6,987,399 underwent breast ultrasounds, and 1,585,856 had ...
Source: radRounds - June 21, 2018 Category: Radiology Authors: Julie Morse Source Type: blogs
DocPanel Announces Partnership with the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine
Largest online marketplace of radiologists gives consumers access toworld class medical experts NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 2, 2018 – Today,DocPanel announced a partnership with theUniversity of Southern California (USC) Keck School of MedicineDepartment of Radiology that will give consumers access to Keck ’s 60 world class radiology sub-specialists. DocPanel is an industry solution. It enables imaging centers to use USC experts who are focused on specific areas of the body, therefore, providing unique perspective and accurate insights.Already, imaging centers are benefiting from DocPanel’s access to USC’s team as ...
Source: radRounds - June 18, 2018 Category: Radiology Authors: Philip Templeton Source Type: blogs
Why First-Year Med Students Need More Radiology Exposure
Medical school is a crucial time for developing clinical interests. However, students typically receive minimal exposure to radiological clinical practices during the first year, and this lack of imaging curriculum greatly influences their perspective of the field. A group of researchers from the University of Michigan set out to change the way medical students approach radiology by implementing a dynamic course on the specialty for first-year students. They documented their results in a study published in Academic Radiologythis month.The group of researchers led by Michael Kraft, BS, introduced a two-week radiology cour...
Source: radRounds - June 15, 2018 Category: Radiology Authors: Julie Morse Source Type: blogs
Would Radiology Be Better with a 13-Button Mouse?
A group of researchers have devised a way to make radiologists ’ processes more comfortable and efficient with a slight modification to a piece of everyday technology.The 13-button mouse was introduced to a group of 59 radiologists and residents over a two-day trial period. Participants were surveyed before and after the trial. The team of researchers led by University of Kansas Medical Center radiology resident Kevin Denton, MD, found that the majority preferred using the newfangled mouse over the traditional three-button device. They reported their findings in a studyrecently published in theJournal of Digital Imagin...
Source: radRounds - June 15, 2018 Category: Radiology Authors: Julie Morse Source Type: blogs
