2011 November

As we head into the final countdown to the 97th Scientific Assembly & Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), it seems that imaging occupies both the spotlight and the hot seat.

RSNA hosts its 97th Scientific Assembly & Annual Meeting, Nov. 27 to Dec.2, in Chicago. The society expects 60,000 attendees and has organized 2,400 presentations and posters and 1,800 exhibits and demonstrations.

Physicians are all about smartphones, embracing them en masse. Adoption rates hover anywhere from 72 percent (Manhattan Research, Taking the Pulse, May 2010) to 94 percent (Spyglass Consulting Group, Point of Care Communications for Physicians, July 2010). The numbers, however, dont tell the full story, because adoption does not necessarily equate to robust clinical use. At this stage, there are a few killer apps, but true integration into the clinical practice of medicine and the meat of clinical workflow, a.k.a. the EHR, remains a work in progress.

CDs can be a headache for PACS administrators. The ubiquitous disks can be associated with organizational challenges, burning problems, privacy complications and DICOM glitches. However, a combination of thoughtful policies, software and hardware can help ease the pain.

In November 2010, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) ended one of the largest clinical trials ever conducted, the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), after annual CT screenings of heavy smokers showed a 20 percent reduction in mortality compared with conventional x-ray screening. One year later, dozens of U.S. cancer centers have begun to offer screening for the nations deadliest cancer, but few Americans are lining up for a chance at early detection.

Two million neurons die per every minute that a stroke goes untreated, making rapid diagnosis and treatment crucial for the best outcomes. However, 45 percent of Americans live more than 60 minutes away from a primary stroke center. Enter telemedicine: telestroke networks have sprung up across the U.S., and are rapidly expanding, delivering revenue gains and improving patient outcomes.

President of the Radiological Society of North America, Burton P. Drayer, MD, executive vice president for risk at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, and since 1995, chair of the department of radiology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, spoke with Health Imaging about this year's conference theme and varied tracks at the 97th Scientific Assembly & Annual Meeting of the RSNA, as well as the current and future directions of radiology.

More states are pondering the legislative bandwagon mandating breast ultrasound screening for women with heterogeneous or dense breasts. While lawmakers debate the merits of ultrasound screening, some breast imagers are transitioning from handheld ultrasound screening to automated ultrasound systems to image women with heterogeneous or dense breasts.

The final diagnostic form the evolving hybrid PET/MR tree will take is uncertain, but it has already begun to blossom. In fact, low-hanging clinical fruit has lured a number of major medical centers to early adoption.

We all go to the grocery store. We all buy the same things. Milk, bread, orange juice, vegetables, meat, fish and so on. What I find fascinating about grocery stores is that some are just better than others. Some are simply transactional.