2010 December

Over the last two decades, advances in digital image management have fueled tremendous workload and productivity increases among radiologists. However, the need to boost productivity is ongoing. A number of productivity powerhouses have tapped the power and potential of staff to raise the productivity bar. These sites provide financial incentives, engage staff in decision-making and collect and share data to maximize productivity.

The growth in imaging study volume has come under fire in recent years. The figures are staggering. Advanced imaging services spending by Medicare, including for CT, MRI and nuclear medicine, increased from $3.6 billion to $7.6 billion from 2000 through 2006, representing a 17 percent average increase annually. U.S. expenditures on medical imaging are approaching $100 billion.

The decision of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to end the National Lung Cancer Screening Trial (NLST) promises to have far-reaching impacts. The data could spur development of a CT lung cancer screening program in the U.S. This next step requires a revised model characterized by clinical collaboration pre-and post-screening and thoughtful and systematic patient selection. Experts paint a picture of the new model.

Faced with reimbursement cuts and pushed to convert to digital records, imaging centers are under the gun to maintain their market share. Smart centers are extending the value of PACS with digital dashboards, web-based tools and more. Health Imaging & IT spoke with a few financially fit imaging centers to discuss how they are optimizing PACS.

According to Benjamin Franklin, the only certainties in life are death and taxes. I think its fairly safe to add change to the list, particularly for healthcare professionals. Medical imaging holds true to form with constant tweaks to the norm.