NIH and ERC Unveil Public Access Policies
New policies enacted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and European Research Council (ERC) are designed to make outcomes of all research funded by the organizations publicly accessible.
The NIH Public Access Policy requires that all NIH-funded investigators submit to the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed Central (PMC) an electronic version of their final, peer-reviewed manuscripts upon acceptance for publication, to be made publicly available no later than 12 months after the official publication date.
NIH states that it will implement the policy in a manner consistent with copyright law. The policy applies to all peer-reviewed articles arising, in whole or in part, from direct costs funded by NIH, or from NIH staff, accepted for publication on or after April 7, 2008.
The ERC now requires that all peer-reviewed publications from ERC-funded research projects be deposited, upon publication, into an appropriate research repository such as PMC, ArXiv or an institutional repository and subsequently made open access within 6 months of publication. The ERC added that it is essential that primary data are deposited to the relevant databases as soon as possible, preferably immediately after publication but no later than 6 months.
CMS Decision on Cardiac CTA Expected
Cardiac imagers await a decision this month by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding Medicare coverage of cardiac CT angiography (CTA).
CMS announced in December a proposed plan to cover CTA only in Medicare beneficiaries with two specific clinical indications of coronary artery disease (CAD) under the Coverage with Evidence Development process, which allows coverage in connection with clinical trials. For the past couple years, decisions about Medicare coverage of CTA were made by contractors at the state level.
In proposing the change, CMS noted a lack of evidence on outcomes and limitations in cardiac CTA, including segments that may be uninterpretable and health risks from the radiation exposure. The proposed policy still provides consistent coverage and uniform access to cardiac CTA for Medicare beneficiaries while stimulating the additional research needed to develop evidence on patient outcomes, according to CMS.
The North American Society for Cardiac Imaging, American College of Radiology and American College of Cardiology are among the organizations that have objected to the coverage change, saying it ignores many studies showing CTA's utility and efficacy.
More information is available at www.cms.hhs.gov/mcd/viewdraft decisionmemo.asp?id=206.
Current Brachytherapy Reimbursement Extended Through June
Among the measures included in the Medicare, Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Extension Act of 2007 is an extension of the current reimbursement model for brachytherapy seeds.
A Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rule would have set a fixed per-seed reimbursement rate as of January 1, 2008. The act passed by Congress continues reimbursement of actual costs through June 30.
FDA Warns of MR Risks Related to Unretrieved Device Fragments
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning physicians about risks related to a unretrieved device fragment (UDF), a piece of a medical device that has separated unintentionally and remains in the patient after a procedure. Radiologists in particular should be aware, according to the FDA, that during MR imaging procedures magnetic fields may cause metallic fragments to migrate, and radiofrequency fields may cause them to heat, causing internal tissue damage and/or burns.
The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) receives nearly 1,000 adverse event reports each year related to UDFs, including more than 200 different medical devices and numerous medical specialties.
The FDA recommends avoiding MR imaging exams in patients with UDFs. The FDA announcement can be accessed at www.fda.gov/cdrh/safety/011508-udf.html.
ABR Seeks Associate Executive Director Applicants
The Board of Trustees of the American Board of Radiology (ABR) seeks applications for the part-time position of associate executive director (AED) for diagnostic radiology and subspecialties.
The new AED will work with the ABR executive director and the AED for administration to coordinate and execute the ABR Strategic Plan and the policy decisions of the ABR Board of Trustees. The AED will also work with ABR division chairs on operational matters, systems analysis and quality improvement and with the AEDs for radiation oncology and radiologic physics to coordinate policy and the specifics of implementation across the three disciplines.
Candidates will be evaluated for their experience as a diagnostic radiologist, with or without subspecialty certification, as well as their status as a current or former ABR trustee and their track record of participation, accomplishment, effectiveness and collegiality.
ABR anticipates selecting a new AED by May 23, with an expected start date of July 7. Interested parties should contact ABR by April 30:
Gary J. Becker, M.D.
Executive Director
American Board of Radiology
5441 E. Williams Blvd., Ste. 200
Tucson, AZ 85711
Phone: 520-790-2900
gbecker@theabr.org
ABII Exam Yields New
Certified Imaging Informatics Professionals
The American Board of Imaging Informatics has announced 84 new certified imaging informatics professionals (CIIPs) after the second administration of the ABII exam in September 2007. The first exam in June 2007 yielded 99 CIIPs.
The ABII exam tests candidates in several key areas of knowledge, with image management and information technology comprising about one-third of the 130 items. Remaining questions focus on operations, communications, systems management, clinical engineering, medical informatics, procurement, project management and training and education. For information about future tests and a searchable database of CIIPs, go to www.abii.org.
