Clinical Studies | Thursday, September 02 2010
Socioeconomic status (SES) remains associated with survival among cancer patients in Ontario, despite a universal healthcare approach, according to a study published online Aug. 2 in Cancer.
Industry News | Thursday, September 02 2010
UnitedHealth Group will invest $10 million to help California’s critical access hospitals improve their health IT systems and adopt EHRs.
New Products | Thursday, September 02 2010
Spectral Molecular Imaging, a subsidiary of Cascade Technologies, will complete development of its new product SkinSpect, aimed at early detection of melanoma by hyperspectral imaging, in mid-September, ahead of schedule.
Industry News | Wednesday, September 01 2010
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced three sets of grants and cooperative agreements, totaling nearly $17 million for patient-centered outcomes research.
Industry News | Wednesday, September 01 2010
The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) has launched a non-profit, wholly owned subsidiary organization, called the Global Health Informatics Partnership, to serve as an international center for collaborative initiatives on healthcare informatics.
Industry News | Wednesday, September 01 2010
While diagnostic errors are encountered in every specialty and are generally lowest (less than five percent) for certain specialties that rely on visual pattern recognition and interpretation (e.g., radiology, pathology, dermatology), error rates in specialties that rely more on data gathering and the combination of different elements for a conclusive diagnosis are higher (10 to 15 percent), according to a September article published in the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Advisory.
Industry News | Wednesday, September 01 2010
The CT Colonography (CTC) Coalition has called on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) to reconsider its recommendation regarding virtual colorectal cancer screening, following the statement issued by the task force maintaining that further research is still required to make a conclusive recommendation regarding CTC.
Partnerships & Alliances | Wednesday, September 01 2010
DMS Health Technologies, an operating company of Otter Tail and a distributor of Philips Healthcare's diagnostic imaging equipment for the upper Midwest, has expanded its nuclear medicine equipment sales in the Midwest.
Partnerships & Alliances | Wednesday, September 01 2010
Brit Systems and healthcare group purchasing organization Amerinet have entered into a three-year agreement for critical test results management.
Contracts & Installations | Wednesday, September 01 2010
Sectra has implemented its MicroDose Mammography technology into a mobile screening unit in Germany.
Clinical Studies | Wednesday, September 01 2010
The cost patterns of prostate cancer treatment can vary widely based on initial treatment choice, and treatments that may be less expensive in the short-term may have higher long-term costs, according to a study published online Aug. 23 in Cancer.
Clinical Studies | Wednesday, September 01 2010
Using readily available computer programs such as Microsoft Excel, researchers can quickly generate valuable gene signatures for predicting breast cancer without specialized software or extensive bioinformatics training, according to an article published online Sept. 1 in Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research.
Industry News | Wednesday, September 01 2010
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) has launched Quality 101, an online resource for the basics and metrics of quality measurement and improvement.
Regulatory News | Wednesday, September 01 2010
The FDA has granted 510(k) clearance for the LipiScan near-infrared (NIR) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) coronary imaging system from InfraReDx.
Contracts & Installations | Wednesday, September 01 2010
Greenway Medical Technologies has added four health information exchange (HIE) programs, independent physician associations (IPAs) and regional medical centers to its client roster using PrimeSuite, the company’s EHR practice management and interoperability system, to connect group practices using clinical, financial and administrative functions.
Contracts & Installations | Wednesday, September 01 2010
Iasis Healthcare, which operates 16 healthcare facilities across six states, has selected QuadraMed's coding, compliance and reporting technologies to improve coding practices and transition to the ICD-10 code sets in 2013.
Contracts & Installations | Tuesday, August 31 2010
Aspect Magnet Technologies has completed multiple installations of its deskside, compact M2 MRI systems for use in preclinical imaging.
Industry News | Tuesday, August 31 2010
The Canadian government has invested more than $911,000 to support medical and pharmaceutical research at Canada's National Laboratory for Particle and Nuclear Physics--TRIUMF--through the Western Diversification Program.
Partnerships & Alliances | Tuesday, August 31 2010
Storage management systems developer Symantec Health and Siemens Healthcare have completed compatibility testing for Symantec’s cloud-based medical image archiving offering and Siemens’ PACS technology.
Contracts & Installations | Tuesday, August 31 2010
Radiotherapy provider Varian Medical Systems has treated its first patient with its Gated RapidArc system, a radiotherapy treatment technology that monitors patient breathing and compensates for tumor motion.
Executive Announcements | Tuesday, August 31 2010
The IVD Industry Connectivity Consortium (IICC) has appointed Eric Olson, vice president of informatics and eBusiness for Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, as its president.
Executive Announcements | Tuesday, August 31 2010
The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) has released the names of 19 medical groups and organized systems of care that will be participating in its ACO Development Collaborative to assist member organizations in becoming successful accountable care organizations (ACOs).
Industry News | Tuesday, August 31 2010
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a reminder to healthcare providers, health plans, clearinghouses and vendors about the approaching January 2011 compliance date for testing transaction standards.
Mergers & Acquisitions | Tuesday, August 31 2010
Ebix, a supplier of e-commerce services to the insurance industry, has signed a merger agreement to acquire Atlanta-based A.D.A.M., on a debt-free basis for aggregate merger consideration of $66 million.
Industry News | Tuesday, August 31 2010
Weno Healthcare has submitted its application to become an Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) authorized certification and testing body (ATCB) in an effort to increase overall adoption for certified EHR technology.
Clinical Studies | Monday, August 30 2010
PET/CT using [11C] choline may be useful to restage in patients with prostate cancer who had increasing prostate-specific antigen (PSA) after radical prostatectomy and no disease evidence on conventional imaging, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Urology.
New Products | Monday, August 30 2010
Royal Philips Electronics has released its upgraded cardiac ultrasound, the iE33 xMATRIX cardiac ultrasound system, which now offers a X5-1 transducer for adult echocardiograms, at the European Society of Cardiology Congress (ESC) this week in Stockholm.
Top Stories | Monday, August 30 2010
The Certification Commission for Health IT (CCHIT) has been recognized by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT as an Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC-ATCB) under the initial certification program created to certify that EHRs are capable of meeting the criteria to support meaningful use and qualify eligible providers and hospitals for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Industry News | Monday, August 30 2010
The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) has released a change to its ARRT Rules and Regulations, stating that individuals whose registration was dropped more than five years after their CE probation end date will no longer be required to re-enroll in and complete an educational program in order to reinstate their registered technologist designation.
Top Stories | Monday, August 30 2010
The California State Legislature has approved a bill to save the state’s mammogram program--Every Woman Counts--with a vote of 34-0 from the Senate and 75-0 in the state assembly last week.
Clinical Studies | Monday, August 30 2010
An MRI exam of sodium ions in human articular cartilage can provide a noninvasive method to diagnose osteoarthritis in its very early stages, according to a study published online Aug. 13 in the Journal of Magnetic Resonance.
Executive Announcements | Monday, August 30 2010
CAS Medical Systems has appointed Thomas M. Patton president, CEO and a member of its board of directors, effective Aug. 27.
Partnerships & Alliances | Monday, August 30 2010
Vision Facilities Management has started a new two-way communication interface with ECRI Institute to improve the ability of hospital staff to manage medical device safety alerts and recalls.
Contracts & Installations | Monday, August 30 2010
St. Mary's Medical Center in Huntington, W.Va., has selected Wolters Kluwer Health’s ProVation Order Sets, powered by UpToDate Decision Support, as its electronic order set technology.
New Products | Monday, August 30 2010
Welch Allyn has lanched Connex Electronic Vitals Documentation System to capture and transmit patient data to EMRs to provide clinicians in non-critical settings with access to vital signs.
Industry News | Monday, August 30 2010
On average, hospital stays for patients with healthcare-acquired infections were 19.2 days longer and the cost was nearly $43,000 greater than stays without infections, according to a statistical brief released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Contracts & Installations | Monday, August 30 2010
HealthInfoNet, the nonprofit organization managing the health information exchange (HIE) for the state of Maine, is partnering with medical terminology management company Health Language to assist in the transition from a two-year demonstration project to a full statewide HIE implementation.
New Products | Monday, August 30 2010
The St. Jude Medical EnSite Cardiac Mapping system, a system used to treat cardiac arrhythmias, is now available for use in Japan.
Industry News | Sunday, August 29 2010
A personal health record (PHR) embedded in mobile communication devices--or mPHR--is the “killer app” that may change the game for providers, consumers and payors, according to an issue brief from consulting firm Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, based in Washington, D.C.
Clinical Studies | Sunday, August 29 2010
The combination of FDG PET/CT and circulating tumor cell (CTC) counts might be a useful tool to monitor response to therapy in breast cancer patients, according to a study published in this month's Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
Partnerships & Alliances | Sunday, August 29 2010
IBA (Ion Beam Applications) has entered into an agreement with Bayer Schering Pharma, Germany for chemical process development and clinical trial doses supply of Florbetaben, a PET tracer in development for the detection of beta-amyloid deposits in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.
Executive Announcements | Sunday, August 29 2010
Areva Med has formed an advisory committee comprised of five high-level scientists who will provide the firm with strategic advice and scientific guidance in the field of radio-immunotherapy using its lead-212 isotope.
Top Stories | Sunday, August 29 2010
The California State Assembly in a bipartisan vote of 70-4 has approved SB 1237, which seeks to establish protocols and safeguards to protect patients from excess radiation exposure during CT scans by requiring radiation dosage levels be recorded on the scanned image and in a patient’s health records and that radiation overdoses be reported to patients, their treating physicians and the California Department of Public Health.
Top Stories | Friday, August 27 2010
The repair of the High Flux Reactor (HFR) in Petten, the Netherlands, is proceeding well and the reactor is expected to achieve the first HFR Full Power Day (45 MW) on Sept. 9, according to the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group of the Netherlands.
Top Stories | Friday, August 27 2010
The FDA has alerted the public to problems associated with the quality of mammograms performed at the Medisound facility in Kissimmee, Fla
New Products | Friday, August 27 2010
Sage North America’s Sage Healthcare Division has released two new products: Sage Intergy version 6.10 and the Sage Intergy Meaningful Use Edition.
Regulatory News | Friday, August 27 2010
SonoSite has received FDA clearance for its tracking and guidance technology for peripherally inserted central catheter line procedures, the LumenVu Catheter Guidance System.
Industry News | Friday, August 27 2010
The adoption of basic or comprehensive EHR systems by U.S. hospitals increased from 8.7 percent in 2008 to 11.9 percent in 2009, but only 2 percent of hospitals met the federal meaningful use standards needed to qualify for government financial incentives, according to an article published Aug. 26 in an advance online edition of Health Affairs.
Partnerships & Alliances | Friday, August 27 2010
Medical imaging software provider TomTec has partnered with healthcare IT companies ScImage and Agfa Healthcare for the integration of its quantification tools into the companies’ PACS technology.
Clinical Studies | Friday, August 27 2010
The transition from a default transfemoral access approach for coronary angioplasty to a default transradial approach increased fluoroscopy time, according to a study published in the September edition of American Journal of Cardiology. The transradial approach increased dose-area product for diagnostic procedures, but not interventional procedures.
New Products | Friday, August 27 2010
Philips Healthcare has released its new point-of-care (POC) configuration for its portable CX50 ultrasound system, the Philips CX50 POC.
Mergers & Acquisitions | Friday, August 27 2010
The TriZetto Group has acquired all of the voting stock of Tela Sourcing, a business process outsourcing services company based in Baltimore.
Industry News | Friday, August 27 2010
The Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) has announced its support for clinical research to determine the safety and effectiveness of interventional treatments for patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) through a position statement published in the September edition of the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.
Partnerships & Alliances | Friday, August 27 2010
GE Healthcare is donating its Centricity Advance EMR platform to the University of Texas at Austin for educational purposes.
Top Stories | Thursday, August 26 2010
Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., has fired a licensed radiologic technologist (RT), who was a possible source of transmission of Hepatitis C infection to three transplant patients.
Top Stories | Thursday, August 26 2010
While Agfa-Gevaert posted 8.7 percent increase in revenues in the 2010 second quarter compared with the previous year’s second quarter, its Agfa HealthCare unit only posted slightly higher revenues—0.3 percent—over the 2009 second quarter.
| Thursday, August 26 2010
DatCard Systems, a supplier of DICOM digital distribution systems, has filed suit against PACSGear and Data Distributing, alleging an infringement of its medical disc publishing patent portfolio.
Please take a moment to qualify for a FREE subscription to Health Imaging & IT magazine using the link below.
Medical imaging overutilization--a growing concern in the U.S.--exposes patients to unnecessary radiation, while also adding to rising healthcare costs, according to a study published online Aug. 24 in Radiology. In an interview, William R. Hendee, PhD, lead author, reviewed various methods by which medical imaging could be curtailed.
Dedicated contrast-enhanced (CE) breast CT delivered significantly improved conspicuity of malignant breast lesions, including ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), compared with unenhanced breast CT and mammography, according to a study published in the September issue of Radiology.
CT, ultrasound and MRI have helped shift biopsy techniques away from more invasive approaches toward image-guided percutaneous techniques, according to a study published in the September issue of Radiology. The trend toward less-invasive approaches translates into enhanced safety and efficiency and could lead to more interaction between patients and radiologists.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) EHR incentive payments are not considered reimbursement for money expended on EHR technology, but are intended to offset the cost associated with adoption and ongoing meaningful use, according to CMS during an Aug. 12 webinar.
Funding incentives for EHR use is the main goal of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) meaningful use initiative, and there are incentive programs for both hospitals and eligible professionals, according to Elizabeth Holland, health insurance specialist at the Department of Health and Human Services, who spoke during a CMS-sponsored webinar Aug. 8.
Stage 1 requirements for meaningful use incentives aim to strike a balance between the overall goal of EHR use and widespread adoption, while avoiding added work, said Jonathan Teich, MD, PhD, chief medical informatics officer at Elsevier Health Services, during a HIMSS webinar titled “Meaningful Use: Safety and Quality of Care.”
