2011 June

Its not that Im so smart, its just that I stay with problems longer, quipped Albert Einstein. I wont debate Einsteins intelligence, but his point about perseverance is particularly astute.

A year after its introduction and on the heels of the launch of the iPad 2, the worlds most celebrated gadget continues its hot streak. Physicians certainly arent immune to its appeal. Nearly one-quarter of American physicians bought an iPad in 2010, according to Chilmark Research. Others are jumping on the bandwagon. Four out of five physicians surveyed recently by Aptilon plan to buy an iPad this year.

Business intelligence. Digital dashboards. While the terms are often bandied about, radiologists and imaging stakeholders are striving toward more precise definitions and applications to help their practices gain maximum efficiencies. In search of a consensus, we asked leaders in the field to understand current applications and future potential.

Thoracic radiologists are at odds with one another about the benefits of image enhancement and analytical tools for low-dose CT lung cancer screening.

As radiology practices tack on increasingly advanced applications and move closer toward seamlessly tying together all patient information via the EHR, RIS serves as the nerve center of radiologys workflow, feeding PACS and driving connectivity. The result is ever faster, more comprehensive and integrated provision of patient care by radiologistsall thanks to a system which, in some practices, radiologists might themselves never directly use.

In a March 3 article published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, Jonathan Breslau, MD, a radiologist at Radiological Associates of Sacramento Medical Group in Calif., argues that much is at stake for radiology in this changing system, and unless radiologists increase their involvement, much also may be at risk.