To address the rising costs of healthcare, we must improve the way that health care is delivered, including coordinating care better and improving the safety of care, stated the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in its assessment of healthcare reform, released Feb. 28.

Royal Philips Electronics announced it received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its MicroDose SI system, the first full-field digital mammography (FFDM) system on the market with the capability to enable future Single-Shot Spectral Imaging applications*. Philips is working on future software applications like Spectral Breast Density Measurement*, which will build upon the MicroDose SI technology.

Fewer breast imaging facilities in the United States, in addition to ongoing controversies surrounding breast cancer screening, has suppressed growth in the U.S. breast imaging systems market. However, Frost & Sullivan anticipates modest expansion, driven by the increasing demand for breast imaging equipment due to the growing prevalence of breast cancer, as well as increases in breast cancer surgery procedure volumes and supplemental screening exams prompted by new breast density reporting legislation.

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) released a list of specific tests that are commonly ordered—but not always necessary — in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging as part of the Choosing Wisely campaign, an initiative of the ABIM Foundation. The list identifies five targeted, evidence-based recommendations that can support conversations between patients and physicians about what care is really necessary and appropriate.

Taking a leadership role in addressing inefficient practices and improving care, the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) has released a list of five interventions whose appropriateness physicians and patients should discuss as part of Choosing Wisely.

New York state’s new breast density notification law went into effect in January and is said to be one of the most comprehensive breast density laws in the country. It is designed to improve the early detection of breast cancer by informing women of their breast density and encouraging them to discuss with their physicians the potential benefits of additional screening tests.