2012 February

New technologies often follow a meandering path to clinical use. Adoption may be accelerated, either by a breakthrough clinical study validating its use or grants or other incentives designed to spur adoption. Conversely, technological innovations may sputter and stumble, owing to financial, technical or regulatory barriers.

Researchers across the U.S. are investigating the mighty 7T magnets for neurological, vascular and orthopedic imaging applications.

Providers are harnessing natural language processing (NLP) to address unstructured data challenges and reinvent patient care and clinician workflow.

EMRs in the clouds promise to reduce operational costs and maximize quality improvement initiatives. But, is the technology ready for prime time?

Patients want doctors to be highly trained and skilled with the technology that has led to so many health improvements in this century. Patients also need doctors to notice their emotions, and recognize that what is routine, typical and straightforward to doctors, almost never is to patients.