New 2018 guidelines for myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) protocols on conventional and novel single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for nuclear cardiology practitioners has received praise from the Society for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).

An expert consensus document published May 2 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology offers recommendations for limiting radiation exposure to both patients and medical personnel during cardiovascular imaging procedures.

In 2017, Anthem implemented a new policy that requires outpatient MR and CT scans not considered medically necessary to be completed at a freestanding imaging facility to receive coverage. This went into effect in several states, sparking its fair share of controversy along the way, and a team of Boston-based researchers wanted to know how such a policy could impact patient care in Massachusetts.

ImageGuideEcho—the first registry devoted solely to measuring quality in cardiovascular ultrasounds— is now open to U.S. physicians.

Automated 3D echocardiography (3DE) analysis using a new, commercially available algorithm has allowed University of Chicago researchers to accurately quantify left-heart size and function in two-thirds of 300 consecutive patients. They conclude the technology can be useful in clinical practice despite its known workflow-interruptive drawbacks—especially when the echocardiographer has the know-how to correct for its shortcomings.

Physicians in fields like cardiology have traditionally looked to clinical practice guidelines to help articulate the best evidence-based care for patients. The rapidly growing movement to value-based care is prompting clinicians—including echocardiographers—to carefully weigh a more focused and integrative approach to delivering consistent, quality medicine: care pathways.