Economics

This channel highlights factors that impact hospital and healthcare economics and revenue. This includes news on healthcare policies, reimbursement, marketing, business plans, mergers and acquisitions, supply chain, salaries, staffing, and the implementation of a cost-effective environment for patients and providers.

Iodinated contrast use before, during and after COVID: Trends predict significant growth in demand

A new analysis suggests that, if the use of iodinated contrast were to follow pre-pandemic trends, it could rise by as much as 37% from 2019. 

November 17, 2022
The Nanox ARC cold-cathode, tomosynthesis 3D X-ray system is currently pending FDA clearance. If cleared, it would be the first device of its kind to offer cold-cathode X-ray tube technology and the ability to slice through the anatomy in images similar to CT scans to aid diagnosis. The new type of tube also could greatly reduce the size and weight of X-ray systems. The vendor sees this system as key to its larger plan to address health disparities and access to imaging world-wide. #Nanox

Can cold-cathode X-ray combined with teleradiology and AI eliminate health disparities?

The Israeli vendor Nanox says it has a vision for the future of healthcare. It seeks to address health disparities and access challenges with a new business model and innovative package of technologies. Hurdles loom, but opportunities abound. 

November 17, 2022

CMS raises reimbursement rate for focused ultrasound prostate tissue ablation

The procedure has a current average reimbursement rate of $4,506. The new OPPS rule would significantly increase that figure.

November 10, 2022

Dynamic chest radiography a suitable, low-cost alternative to V/Q scanning for pulmonary hypertension

Dynamic chest radiography was recently shown to be comparable to lung ventilation-perfusion scanning for detecting chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.  

November 9, 2022

'Tremendous pressure' to keep up with radiologist workloads results in another missed diagnosis

The radiologist involved in the incident indicated that the department’s burdensome workload resulted in reduced reading times, saying that this made their departmental standard of double reading scans “virtually unattainable."

November 7, 2022

Costs of PE interventions are frequently physician-dependent

“Without a clear reference standard technique that optimizes patient outcomes, device selection is based on availability and physician-driven selection, which can substantially impact procedural costs,” authors of a new cost analysis in Clinical Radiology stated.

November 4, 2022
MRI system advances include helium-free MRI systems (left is Philips version of this system), and compressed sensing (right, GE's version of this technology), which can greatly reduce scan times. Both technologies were mentioned in an overview by Signet Research of new tech that will be at RSNA 2022.

VIDEO: Overview of MRI market and technology trends

Bhvita Jani, research manager, Signify Research, explains some key trends and technology advances in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) market leading into the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2022 meeting. 

November 3, 2022
The University of Southern California was among the first imaging centers in the U.S. to install a 7T MRI. This high-end part of the MRI market is small and is mainly made up of academic research centers. The main MRI market is made of of 1.5T systems, but there is rising demand for 3T, which Signify research may eventually become the standard for MRI.

Top MRI trends include helium-free systems, compressed sensing and AI

Signify Research outlines several key technologies and trends in MRI to look for at the Radiological Society of North America 2022 meeting.

November 3, 2022

Around the web

"Gen AI can help tackle repetitive tasks and provide insights into massive datasets, saving valuable time," Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, said Tuesday. 

SCAI and four other major healthcare organizations signed a joint letter in support of intravascular ultrasound. 

The newly approved AI models are designed to improve the detection of pulmonary embolisms and strokes in patients who undergo CT scans.

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