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Avoid the hassle of long lunch lines and vying for a place to eat your meals during RSNA 2008. For the first time, RSNA is offering attendees a new hospitality service and networking opportunity. Meal tickets can be purchased in advance online. Comfortable seating will be available at tables inside each exhibit hall. Topic tables will be available in the Lakeside Learning Center.
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Headlines
From RSNA
Leading the News
Research
Technology
Clinical Practice
From RSNA
September RSNA News Now Online
The full version of the September issue of RSNA News is now available online.
Highlights include:
MR Imaging Offers New Way of Evaluating Bone Loss
A study has demonstrated the ability of ultrashort echo time (UTE) MR imaging to quantify bone water, paving the way for a new, noninvasive approach to assessing bone loss.
Combining Radiation, Surgery Increases Head and Neck Cancer Survival
A large-scale study showing improved survival rates for patients with node-positive head or neck cancer who undergo post-surgical radiation therapy could have a particularly significant impact on patients classified as N1.
Healthy Living During Residency Urged
It might seem implied that doctors-in-training would maintain healthy habits, but frequently that’s not so. The instructor of an RSNA 2008 course said nothing short of a change in culture is needed to resolve a growing problem.
MOC Summit Tackles Radiation Dose
The American Board of Radiology (ABR) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Summit in Chicago demonstrated that it is radiologic professionals themselves who are being proactive about radiation dose regulation.
R&E Foundation Seeks to Expand Power of Grants
Changes made by the RSNA Research & Education (R&E) Foundation are designed to expand the power of the Foundation's research and education grants to jump start the careers of radiology trainees and young faculty members.
Leading the News
The High Cost of Precision
Los Angeles Times (09/07/08) P. A1; Zarembo, Alan
CT scans provide pristine images, but some say that the required radiation increases patients' risk for later cancer development. In 2007, doctors ordered about 68.7 million CT scans, more than triple the figures for 1995, according to IMV Medical Information Division. One scan on one individual has very little risk, but according to a study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, as many as 2 percent of cancer deaths in 20-30 years could result from the CT scans conducted now. The study also found that radiation may be a greater threat to children than adults, with an abdominal scan increasing the risk of fatal cancer by 0.1 percent in a five-year-old. According to Dr. Hooman Maydoon, because most CT patients are age 50 or older, and multiple CT scans are usually spaced out over several years, the radiation risk is a "nonissue." However, some researchers believe that about one-third of CT scans could be avoided, or conducted by other technologies, like ultrasound or MRI. According to one study, radiation-free ultrasound can diagnose appendicitis in children as well as a CT scan, and another study shows that children with chronic headaches can undergo a normal neurological exam, without scanning.
Research
Newest Interventional Radiology Treatment Used to Bust Blood Clots In Legs
ScienceDaily (09/16/08)
A U.S.-based trial is set to begin before the end of 2008 that will test the safety and efficacy of pharmacomechanical catheter-directed thrombolysis (PCDT) for the prevention of post-thrombotic syndrome in patients with DVT. The Acute Venous Thrombosis: Thrombus Removal With Adjunctive Catheter-Directed Thombolyisis (ATTRACT) trial is scheduled to begin enrollment of 692 patients in at least 28 U.S. clinical centers. PCDT combines the use of a clot-dissolving drug with a catheter-mounted miniature clot removal device. Using this device, an interventional radiologist breaks up the clot and removes it from the vein. Washington University Prof. Suresh Vedantham, who will lead the trial, commented that if the successfully demonstrates the ability of PCDT to prevent and alleviate symptoms of post-thrombotic therapy it could, "fundamentally shift the 50-year-old DVT treatment paradigm to one that includes interventional clot removal as an essential element of standard DVT care."
Teaming Up to Fight Cancer
San Antonio Express-News (TX) (09/03/08) P. 1D; Poling, Travis E.
The University of Texas Health Science Center and San Antonio-based Azaya Therapeutics have partnered to test a new drug delivery system that could more effectively treat cancerous tumors. Radiology professors have been studying the use of liposomes, to treat diseases for over 15 years. New nanotechnology can now deliver radioactive particles encased in liposomes directly into a tumor, where they are naturally released to kill cancer cells. This results in less collateral damage than traditional radiation therapy. The treatment will initially be used to treat head and neck tumors. However, good results from the initial tests could lead to an expansion of the study to include breast and prostate cancer.
Do MRIs Help or Hurt Breast Cancer Patients?
USA Today (09/06/08) Szabo, Liz
A new study of breast cancer patients focuses on the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) before newly diagnosed patients undergo surgery. According to Dr. Richard Bleicher, Fox Chase Cancer Center, there is currently no evidence that the use of MRIs improve the patient's odds of survival. However, the number of MRIs performed prior to surgery at Fox Chase doubled between 2004 and 2006 to 27 percent. Bleicher's study, presented at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), included 577 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. He found that women who underwent an MRI scan had surgery delayed by three weeks. While this fact alone did not appear to have any effect on survival, he also found that women who had MRIs were more likely to have full mastectomies instead of a lumpectomy in addition to radiation. In light of these findings, Bleicher is concerned that many women may undergo unnecessary mastectomies and that the risks of these procedures may not be reflected in their survival rates when compared with women who chose to have lumpectomies.
Technology
Technology Company Gets $2 Million Grant
News Observer (NC) (09/05/08) Wolf, Alan
A North Carolina-based company has received a $2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to commercialize its three-dimensional imaging technology designed to improve radiation treatment for prostate cancer. The technology creates an anatomical map of patients allowing physicians to better target treatment. The company that developed the technology, known as Morphormics, was founded in 2001 by UNC-Chapel Hill radiation oncology professors Edward L. Chaney, Stephen M. Pizer, and Sarang Joshi.
Brothers in Arms
Health Management Technology (09/08) P. 40; De Martini, Cristina
Bar coding and radio-frequency identification (RFID) can both be used by healthcare professionals for information tracking purposes. Although bar coding systems are based on less advanced technology than RFID, they generally cost less and can perform some of the same tasks. RFID does not offer a noticeable improvement for medical administration and specimen collection, making the cheaper bar coding systems a more sensible choice. Bar coding is also useful for handling high volumes of data, such as patient identification and medication labeling. It is anticipated that healthcare facilities will continue to use bar codes to track radiology film, identify employees, and index medical records. Although RFID systems are more expensive, they could potentially help organizations operate more efficiently and improve patient safety. RFID is often used to track high-value objects, including wheelchairs, heart monitors and even patients. The FDA Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force also recommends that healthcare organizations use RFID to minimize the risk of pharmaceutical counterfeiting. As the costs associated with RFID technology come down, more healthcare providers are expected to implement the technology to complement existing bar coding systems.
Hand-Held Ultrasound Can Save Lives
Canada.com (09/09/08) Eustace, Chantal
Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) recently became the first facility in Canada to acquire hand-held ultrasound devices. The recently-released portable ultrasounds in use at VGH were developed by Siemens. They reportedly weigh less than a kilogram and can be carried in a labcoat pocket. Officials at VGH hope as the devices becomes more widespread they will be used to quickly diagnose internal bleeding in a trauma setting. When asked about the use of portable ultrasounds Dr. Savvas Nicolaou, the VGH's director of emergency and trauma imaging called the devices, "The stethoscope of the future."
Clinical Practice
Arbitration: A Promising Method of Alternative Dispute Resolution
AAOS Now (07/08) Williams, A. Thomas; Williams, Elliott J.; Gordon, Dennis H.
The Utah Medical Insurance Association (UMIA) encourages physicians to ask patients to sign an arbitration agreement for liability disputes. Arbitration can save physicians and patients time and money by avoiding a court battle. UMIA began using arbitration as an alternative dispute resolution tool when state lawmakers passed legislation allowing the use of the agreements in medical liability claims, and the Utah Supreme Court ruled that "arbitration agreements are enforceable and are a preferred method of dispute resolution for medical liability claims." Patient notification requirements for arbitration agreements require that patients waive their rights to a trial and pay for their chosen arbitrator plus 50 percent of the costs of a neutral arbitrator. However, patients can receive care even if they decline arbitration, and they also have 10 days to rescind arbitration agreements and can have claims mediated. Arbitration looks at each claim to first determine causation; damages are assessed only in the event of a breach of care. Additionally, arbitrators are knowledgeable enough to follow complex medical arguments, and testimony from expert witnesses can be done by phone, video, or in-person. UMIA shaves 5 percent off premiums for physicians with arbitration agreements, accounting for about 36 percent of the group's insured physicians last year. Since 2002, UMIA estimates only 3 cases out of 35 were lost in arbitration. Claims brought to court cost UMIA $234,642 on average between 2002 and 2007, while claims in arbitration cost $115,659 on average.
Transforming Healthcare
Health Management Technology (08/08) Veltri, Gregory
Denver Health and Hospital Authority in Denver, Colo., decided to implement computerized physician order entry (CPOE) to boost return on investment; shorten the time it takes for patients to receive medication; minimize human error; improve point-of-care clinical decision support; and bolster communication between pharmacists, providers and patients. Hospital executives requested the participation of physicians, nurses and other providers from the start, involving them in CPOE workgroups that offered feedback on the CPOE system and deployment strategy and timelines. To gain physician buy-in, executives created a core physician design team responsible for helping choose the system, redesign workflow and develop content, and the physicians were urged to constantly make their expectations and needs known. Involving these physicians helped get the message to their colleagues that CPOE permits customized care plans and supports clinical judgment. Since outfitting all of its 500 beds with CPOE, the hospital has cut medication availability time by 83.4 percent, laboratory turnaround time by 54.5 percent and radiology turnaround time by 61.5 percent.
New Jersey HIE to Share Patients' Imaging Records
Healthcare IT News (09/08/08) Merrill, Molly
AmeriHealth New Jersey recently launched a statewide pilot program that will allow radiologists and other New Jersey physicians to share patient imaging records. The initiative, known as the New Jersey Health Information Exchange, will allow 24-hour electronic access to shared-patient medical imaging records using a secure Web portal. The 12-month pilot program is designed to give radiologists Internet-based access to medical imaging, including CAT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, X-Rays, and related reports from participating hospitals and imaging centers.
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