Study Confirms CT Lung Cancer Screening is Cost-Effective: Full Medicare Coverage Should Follow, Says ACR

September 2, 2014 — An actuarial cost-benefit analysis published in the August issue of American Health and Drug Benefits shows that use of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) lung cancer screening recommendations in high-risk Medicare beneficiaries is cost-effective, potentially answering any questions regarding the effectiveness, infrastructure and cost effectiveness of low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening.

The evidence standard the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) used to approve Medicare coverage of a stool DNA colorectal cancer (CRC) screening test — under a new joint approval process with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — should be applied to CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) and other CRC screening exams according to the American College of Radiology (ACR). In a new letter to CMS, ACR urged coverage criteria be transparent and consistently applied.

The high demand for qualified health IT professionals continues, as revealed in the 2014 HIMSS Workplace Study, conducted by HIMSS Analytics. The study shows more than 84 percent of survey respondents reported their organization hired at least one staff member in the past year, a finding consistent with the 2013 survey (86 percent). With hiring in 2014 expected to continue at the 2013 pace, 82 percent of survey respondents planned to hire at least one full-time employee (FTE) in the next 12 months, a slight increase from the 79 percent of respondents planning the same in 2013.

Kit Lam and colleagues from UC Davis and other institutions have created dynamic nanoparticles (NPs) that could provide an arsenal of applications to diagnose and treat cancer. Built on an easy-to-make polymer, these particles can be used as contrast agents to light up tumors for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans or deliver chemo and other therapies to destroy tumors. In addition, the particles are biocompatible and have shown no toxicity. The study was published online in Nature Communications.

August 29, 2014 — Radiology professionals who want to grow and develop as leaders in today’s dynamic healthcare environment will embark on a unique, three-day leadership challenge at the Radiology Leadership Institute (RLI) Expedition Feb. 13-15, 2015, at the Omni Dallas Hotel.

August 29, 2014 — Nuance Communications announced it has achieved an industry-first milestone in sharing 3 billion medical images through the Nuance PowerShare Network. This reflects steady growth of approximately 30 percent each year as the technology gains more widespread adoption in hospitals and facilities securely sharing patient medical images using the cloud.

CMS announced the Open Payments system is once again available for physicians and teaching hospitals to register, review and, as needed, dispute financial payment information received from healthcare manufacturers. The system was taken offline on Aug. 3 to resolve a technical issue. To account for system downtime, CMS is extending the time for physicians and teaching hospitals to review their records to Sept. 8, 2014. The public website will be available on Sept. 30, 2014.

 

Spellman High Voltage introduced its new VMX Series high-performance, low-cost mammography X-ray generator.  The VMX is designed from an integrated application perspective to optimize the clinical performance of today's full-field digital mammography diagnostic systems. The compact VMX meets the critical specifications at the price point that medical OEM's require for value-oriented systems.

Oxford Instruments has re-launched OiServices computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) as Oxford Instruments Healthcare to focus on providing high-quality services, parts and turnkey solutions to the CT and MR imaging market. This includes equipment selection, site planning, installation and hands-on training for MRI and CT medical imaging instruments.

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