The healthcare industry is becoming more mobile and efficient than ever before thanks to the adoption of technologies such as electronic health records (EHR) and electronic sharing, storing and accessing of medical data. These advances have all helped to give patients a more dynamic and comprehensive healthcare experience. They have also helped empower patients to take control of their own healthcare history and information.

OSF HealthCare, an 11-hospital, 52-site, 138-year-old Catholic system based in Peoria, Ill., is recognized among Medicare’s Pioneer Accountable Care Organizations. As such they are constantly looking to improve care quality while reducing costs — all with an eye on transitioning, as all U.S. healthcare providers must, from volume-based to value-based care. 

At the surface, the term “advanced visualization” seems nebulous at best. Medical imaging technology continues to develop and advance at a rapid rate, so determining what qualifies as advanced remains a moving target as well. In general, however, the current cutting edge of imaging centers around 3-D/4-D viewing and mobile technology, with different specialties implementing them in unique ways. 

Proton therapy is an exciting modality in radiation oncology. It is the target of both positive and negative perspectives — the positive related to the technology itself and the ability of proton beams to deposit energy mostly within the tumor being treated. The negative opinions generally result from the historically high cost to build and maintain a center and the lack of access for patients worldwide. The Provision Center for Proton Therapy has not only embraced proton therapy, but also the concept that it must be used in conjunction with other advanced technologies that will assure treatment accuracy. 


The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) gathered public comments on its Stage 3 Meaningful Use (MU) requirements through May 30. The third and final set of MU rules are a core part of the plan to reform American healthcare by leveraging health information technology (IT) to help reduce costs, eliminate redundancies and convert from a fee-for-service to a fee-for-performance reimbursement system. 

There has been growing discussion and excitement surrounding the possibility of personalized medicine and targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT) in recent years.1 TRT refers to the use of one or more radionuclides that may be incorporated into a conjugate or attached to a ligand for targeted therapy at the cellular or molecular level. Radioimmunotherapy refers to targeted therapy with a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody. TRT has actually been part of routine medical therapy for several years.

Today, treatment planning â€” the heart of radiation therapy systems — is almost entirely computer based, and is designed to help increase productivity by simplifying data for clinicians, making workflow smooth and seamless. This is key to helping improve patient outcomes. As technology progresses, so do treatment planning systems.
Pediatric Imaging Growing Up Fast

As one might expect, pediatric imaging presents a unique set of challenges compared to working with adult patients. Patient size, growth and development, and a distinct set of injuries and diseases all enter into the equation for pediatric radiologists.

In the world of imaging, we typically look at medical imaging equipment as being a valuable tool for identifying and rooting out disease. However, it also has many other scientific uses that often seem a little off the beaten path. 
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