That ultrasound offers benefits in cost, availability and minimizing radiation burden should come as no surprise. The medical community has been hearing this for a long time, especially during the past three years from the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) as part of its "Ultrasound First" campaign. What is surprising is that a group of opinion leaders in OB/GYN felt the need to advocate in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG) the use of "ultrasound first” specifically to image the female pelvis.
Dense Breast Comparison, DenseBreast-info.org, fibroglandular density comparison
fibroglandular density, dense breasts, dense breast tissue
fibroglandular density, dense breasts, dense breast tissue
fibroglandular density, dense breasts, dense breast tissue
fibroglandular density, dense breasts, dense breast tissue

Mammograms have long been the first line of defense in detecting breast cancer, which continues to be one of the most common diseases in women today. Within the last decade, however, concerns have arisen over the reliability of mammograms to detect cancer in women with dense breast tissue. 

On April 17, 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule to update fiscal year (FY) 2016 Medicare payment policies and rates under the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and the Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective Payment System (PPS). The proposed rule, which would apply to approximately 3,400 acute care hospitals and about 435 LTCHs, would affect discharges occurring on or after Oct. 1, 2015.

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.
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