RSNA 2008 Image Interpretation Session Simulcast
November 30, 2008
4:00 - 5:45 p.m.
Arie Crown Theater, McCormick Place, Chicago
The popular Sunday Image Interpretation Session at the RSNA annual meeting will be offered as a live simulcast. To register for the simulcast, click here. Within 24 hours after session, RSNA members registered for the Webcast will receive e-mail from RSNA with a link to the site where they can claim 1.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits.
For those who are unable to participate in the live simulcast, the archived session will be available via the regular Internet. Access the session by going to RSNA2008.RSNA.org and choosing Image Interpretation Session from the lefthand navigation bar. AMA PRA Category 1 Credit is not available for the on-demand session.
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Leading the News
Obama Picks Daschle for HHS
President-elect Barack Obama has announced his choice of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to serve as the secretary of Health and Human Services. In that role, Daschle will be responsible for directing the agendas of the FDA, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the National Institutes of Health, and public health initiatives. Political analysts say Sen. Obama's choice of Daschle was largely based on Daschle's role as Obama's central advisor on efforts to reduce healthcare costs and expand coverage. Daschle had already been named to lead the transition team on health policy and has begun preliminary searches for FDA commissioner and other high-ranking posts within the department.
From "Obama Picks Daschle for HHS"
Washington Post (11/19/08) Connolly, Ceci; Cillizza, Chris
Research
Cancer Risk From Cardiac CT Overstated
The risk of cancer from exposure to radiation during computed tomography (CT) for cardiovascular disease has been overstated, according to Medical University of South Carolina Prof. U. Joseph Schoepf and his team. For the purposes of their study, reported at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association, the researchers studied 104 patients undergoing 64-slice cardiac CT. The team converted organ radiation doses into risk using a validated measure. Patient cancer risks were adjusted to account for patient sex, age, and weight (which has commonly been neglected during radiation risk calculations). Using this formula, Schoepf found that the risk of cancer from radiation exposure during CT for cardiovascular disease is approximately 1 in 1,000, as opposed to the previous estimate of 1 in 114.
From "Cancer Risk From Cardiac CT Overstated"
News-Medical.Net (11/10/2008)
Type of Breast Reconstruction Impacts Radiation Therapy Outcomes
A recent study, led by radiation oncologist Dr. Jigna Jhaveri of the Advanced Radiation Centers of New York, found that autologous tissue reconstruction (ATR) reduces possible adverse outcomes associated with breast reconstruction following a mastectomy prior to radiation treatment compared to tissue expanders and implant reconstruction (TE/I). Dr. Jhaveri and her team based this conclusion on observations of 92 patients over 38 months following their reconstruction and radiation treatments. The results of these observations, published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology *Biology* Physics, found that none of the 23 patients who underwent ATR required later surgical intervention, compared to 33 percent of patients who underwent TE/I. Additionally, 83 percent of ATR patients reported acceptable cosmetic outcome, compared to only 54 percent of TE/I patients.
From "Type of Breast Reconstruction Impacts Radiation Therapy Outcomes"
Science Daily (11/20/08)
Ultrasound Waves Aid in Rapid Treatment of DVT
Combining ultrasound waves with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) may improve outcomes for patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), according to a study led by Emory University Prof. Karthikeshwar Kasirajan. The study, reported at the annual VEITH symposium, included 37 patients with tPA and ultrasound. Of the 37 patients, 16 had DVT and 21 had acute in-situ arterial thrombosis (AT). All 21 of the patients with in-situ AT had their clots dissolved completely, as did 10 of the patients with DVT. Additionally, four DVT patients experienced partial clot dissolution and two saw no change.
From "Ultrasound Waves Aid in Rapid Treatment of DVT"
PhysOrg.com (11/23/08)
Technology
Practice Management Software May Help Improve Efficiency and Patient Satisfaction
Office staff in radiology and other types of clinical practices spend a lot of time on appointment scheduling, patient registration, claims, and billing, but experts say a practice management system could boost efficiency and free up time for other pressing tasks. Handling appointment scheduling electronically could prove extremely useful when practices have multiple locations, providing a central site to check for openings in all offices. Electronic patient registration software simplifies the process for both patients and staff, as there are no documents to complete manually and store in filing cabinets. Additionally, data entered into the system is accessible by staff at any of the practice's locations. With regard to claims, many practice management systems feature tools that red-flag problems before they are submitted, speeding up the time it takes to process claims and receive payment. Furthermore, practice management systems house all of the data necessary to run numerous reports on a daily, weekly, monthly, or annual basis. In addition to bolstering efficiency, practice management systems can improve data accuracy and consistency and patient satisfaction.
From "Making the Switch"
Rehab Management (11/08) Vol. 21, No. 9, P. 30; Stromers, Paul
Technology Gives 3-D View of Human Coronary Arteries
A new imaging technology, known as optical frequency-domain imaging (OFDI), simultaneously provides three-dimensional, microscopic views of 1,000 points of a patient's coronary artery, according to Massachusetts General Hospital Dr. Gary Tearney and his team. Their study, published in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, used OFDI to image between three and seven centimeter-long segments of the coronary arteries of three patients who had undergone coronary stenting. Although Tearney acknowledges larger studies need to be conducted, his research found that OFDI was able to give the team detailed images of the length of the patient's arteries.
From "Technology Gives 3-D View of Human Coronary Arteries"
Science Centric (11/18/2008)
Medical-Legal Issues
Major Radiology Benefit Managers Expand Into Cardiac Imaging and Radiation Oncology
Several of the nation's largest radiology benefits managers are now expanding the types of services they scrutinize on behalf of insurance companies. CareCore National and WellPoint's American Imaging Management have already begun offering insurers oversight of cardiac imaging as well as other cardiology costs. National Imaging Associates plans to begin offering similar services in January 2009. Additionally, CareCore has said that it also plans to expand into radiation oncology oversight in the near future.
From "Radiology Police Move Into Cardiology"
Wall Street Journal (11/06/08) Mathews, Anna Wilde
Fraser Institute Questions the Safety of Using Older Medical Equipment
A recent report conducted, led by Fraser Institute director Nadeem Esmail, criticizes the Canadian healthcare system for its use of older imaging technology. Esmail and his team used data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information to determine the age and type of medical equipment in use at Canadian hospitals and other health facilities. They then compared those equipment inventories to guidelines set by the Canadian Association of Radiologists and the European Coordination Committee of the Radiological and Electromedical Industries. According to those guidelines, aging equipment should account for less than 10 percent of the imaging equipment in use in health facilities. However, Esmail found that in Canada, more than 20 percent outdated equipment is still being used to diagnose patients.
From "Report Slams Outdated Medical Equipment"
Calgary Sun (11/11/08) Gandia, Renato
Clinical Practice
Proper Cancer Treatment Facility Design Helps Improve Patient Care
Health Forum and the American College of Healthcare Architects recently met to discuss some of the issues associated with cancer center design given that patients are required to continuously return to treatment facilities for care. Experts agreed that these cancer care facilities not only have to foster wellness and healing, but they also must promote a "home-like" atmosphere to provide patients and their families privacy. To create this atmosphere, hospitals and facilities should have pleasant lighting, remove as many medical supplies from patients' line of sight as possible and ensure the space is flexible. However, treatment areas still must meet the needs of nurses, radiologists and other medical staff to ensure quality care is provided to the patient at all times. Central nurse areas with private sections for staff members are helpful as are large enough rooms to accommodate both a patient's family and medical staff administering care. Designers should meet with medical staff to ensure treatment needs will be met before construction begins. Linear accelerators are often necessary to cancer centers, which is why designers should incorporate them into the building design and add visual distractions to the vaults interior. Some facilities may want to include doorless entry to reduce patient isolation. Experts also note that these facilities should incorporate advanced cancer therapies as well, including oral chemotherapy, diagnostic imaging advances including CT, MRI and PET scans and proton therapy. However, these therapies will require cooperation among administrators, radiologists, physicians, infusion nurses and other medical staff to ensure the facility meets the needs its various cancer patients.
From "Creating Environments for Cancer Care"
Health Facilities Management (11/08) Vol. 21, No. 11, P. 20
Advances in PACS Technology May Provide More Unified Clinical Data Management
A picture archive and communication system (PACS) offers practices and hospitals an effective method of consolidating critical clinical data. The convergence of PACS offers a number of possibilities far beyond simply archiving and viewing diagnostic images. PACS now can store, archive, manage and distribute images, audio, video, live images, structured and unstructured data, visible light and native file formats. To ensure quality care for patients throughout the healthcare system, hospitals and other providers must adopt a continuum-based patient management strategy, and PACS can provide a link between various systems through standard digital imaging data transfer. Radiology and other departments in the hospital not only benefit from the exchange of images and data, but also the ability PACS provides in managing information from all healthcare source systems. Although PACS currently image-enable electronic health records, a new generation of PACS could consolidate clinical data and share data transparently with clinical information systems across the healthcare system.
From "Toward a Unified View"
Health Management Technology (11/08) Osborn, Rex
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