Trends and Hot Topics at AHRA 2015

The biggest trends at the recent Association for Medical Imaging Management (AHRA) annual meeting included concerns over ICD-10 conversion, X-ray radiation dose reduction, tracking technologies, new breast tomosynthesis imaging, interest in creating CT lung cancer screening programs and advances in digital radiography systems. 

AHRA President Dave Fox gave a brief overview of the conference and some of the hot topics in a video interview with ITN. 

Healthcare overall will undergo a major overhaul Oct. 1 with the conversion from ICD-9 to the ICD-10 reimbursement coding system. The new system includes a major increase in new codes which are much more specific. Codes specify not just that an X-ray exam was for a leg fracture, but now require the exact location in the anatomy and the specific type of fracture. Coding for radiology will also require much more information than is currently provided from many referring physicians. In a video interview with ICD-10 expert Melody Mulaik, she explained many of the radiology-specific pitfalls that may prevent reimbursements. 

I created a video on some of the most innovative new technologies being displayed on the AHRA expo floor. These included a new 3-D mammography system introduced by Siemens, a new digital radiography system introduced by Agfa, new cone beam CT and an all touch-screen ultrasound system from Carestream.