Radiology Today E-Newsletter

www.RadiologyToday.net | Trouble viewing this e-mail? Go here.

E-News Exclusive

Radiology Today Interview:
Reporting Dose

Meaningless Use:
Eliminating the Term 'Low Dose'

Radiation Oncology News From ASTRO

Automated Breast Ultrasound

On the Case

Hospitals Fear Being Primary Target
of Medicare Cuts

Profit Guidelines?

MRI Before Breast Cancer Surgery
May Not Help Patients

Worth Repeating

"I wouldn't use the term should—that would be for U.S. colleagues to decide—but I could see no scientific reasons why they should not consider that very carefully."

— John R. Yarnold, MBBS, of the Institute of Cancer Research, on new research that suggests reducing radiation therapy for breast cancer to 40 Gy in 15 fractions, from the current standard 50 Gy in 25 fractions

Wouldn’t it be nice to know what’s coming next?

The January issue of Radiology Today will include our annual review of five things to watch in the coming year based on information and industry chatter collected at RSNA 2012. Our list doesn’t foretell the future, but there’s a pretty good chance it contains some things that radiology professionals will be well served to think about in the coming year. An abbreviated version of our “5 Things to Watch” article is this month’s E-News Exclusive. I hope you find it useful.

Finally, from all of us at Radiology Today, Happy Christmas, Hanukkah (belated), Kwanzaa, New Year—or even Festivus. Whatever you celebrate, do it with good cheer, a kind heart, those you love—and our warm wishes.

— Jim Knaub, editor

Five Things to Watch in 2013
By Jim Knaub

Here’s an abbreviated version of our “5 Things to Watch” article, which will be published in our January issue.

1. Changing the Relationship Between Radiologists and Patients
“Patients First” was this year’s conference theme and the topic of the address by President George S. Bisset, III, MD. But based on discussions I had with some attendees, radiologists hold different views of what it means to put patients first. Many agree that delivering a prompt, clear report to the referring physician and being available for consults forms the core. Beyond that, things are not so clear.

“I am as proud as I’ve ever been of our profession and all its wonderful clinical, [and] technical advances and diagnostic advances,” Bisset told his RSNA audience. “The two things we radiologists haven’t done very well as of late are anticipating and responding to the new patient-centered trends in healthcare. We’re behind and we need to catch up. Not only have we failed to give patients a sense of clinical control and engagement. We’ve gone a step further and left ourselves invisible to most of them. And this makes us vulnerable.”

Patient satisfaction remains something of a soft science, and radiologists often aren’t on the front line with patients. But it may prove very important in places with heavy competition for patients—and such places seem to be growing in number.

Full Story »

Radiology Today's online gift shop features a wide variety of items for radiology professionals. Choose from t-shirts, journals, clocks, buttons, mouse pads, and much more! Check out our secure online shop today or call toll-free 877-809-1659 for easy and fast ordering.

A Secure, Anonymous Résumé Bank
Job Alerts Sent to Your E-mail

Have a product or service you want to market to radiology professionals or an open position that you need to fill quickly? Radiology Today offers many flexible advertising programs designed to maximize your results. From print advertising to e-newsletter sponsorships, website advertising to direct mail opportunities, Radiology Today helps achieve your goals. E-mail our experienced account executives today for more information or call 800-278-4400!

AlliedHealthCareers.com is the premier online resource to recruit radiology professionals. Post your open positions, view résumés, and showcase your facility's offerings all at AlliedHealthCareers.com!

Radiology Today's Physician Recruitment Center gives physician recruiters a powerful tool to satisfy their current needs. An ideal option for recruiters looking to fill partnership opportunities, academic appointments, and hospital staff positions, the Physician Recruitment Center is visited regularly by radiologists and other imaging physicians during their frequent trips to our website for the best coverage of industry news and trends.

Call 800-278-4400 or e-mail sales@gvpub.com to post your opportunities and reach the qualified radiologists who enjoy Radiology Today.

Radiology Today Interview: Reporting CT Dose
Radiology Today interviewed Ascendian President and CEO Shawn McKenzie on the ramifications of the law in California that requires radiation dose reporting. Read more »

Meaningless Use
If you submit a paper to Radiology that uses the term “low dose,” it’s not likely to be accepted. Learn why the journal has targeted the term for extinction. Read more »

ASTRO Reporter’s Notebook
ASTRO visited Boston in late October. Take a look at some of the interesting research presented at the meeting. Read more »

Automated Breast Ultrasound
Recently approved for screening, U-Systems’ ABUS finds cancers and reduces operator variability. While unsettled, reimbursement concerns seem headed in the right direction. Read more »

On the Case
Check out our original case study department, edited by radiologist Rahul V. Pawar, MD. Read more »

Also, you can check out the entire issue in the Radiology Today digital edition.

Hospitals Fear Being Primary Target of Medicare Cuts
Politicians worried about voter backlash may make hospitals the primary targets for Medicare cuts associated with the Affordable Care Act, according to this article in The New York Times.

Profit Guidelines?
MedPageToday and The Milwaukee Sentinel raise questions about whether treatment guidelines for physicians may be as much about making a profit as benefiting patients. The articles look at questionable relationships between industry and doctors involved with developing treatment guidelines. The reporters examined 20 widely distributed treatment guidelines and found that in nine of them, more than 80% of the doctors involved in developing the guidelines had financial ties to drug companies.

MRI Before Breast Cancer Surgery May Not Help Patients
A study from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center suggests that using MRI to stage breast cancer surgery may lead to removing more tissue than nececcessary without reducing the need for subesquent surgery, according to a Reuters report.

Radiology Today is mobile for iPhone, iPad and Android users! Visit www.RadiologyToday.net/digital on your phone's browser to view the mobile version of this issue and bookmark us for future issues.

You will need Adobe Flash Player to view your digital issue. Go here for a free download.