As a less expensive, radiation-free form of medical imaging, ultrasound is finding increased utility in many areas of healthcare. The technology’s evolving flexibility and portability make it an attractive option for doctors looking to triage patients in an emergency room, perform rapid cardiology examinations or offer supplemental imaging for women who have already undergone screening mammograms. Its use is rapidly expanding at the point of care in hospitals in more than 20 specialties, according to a December 2013 report in the journal of the World Heart Federation, Global Heart.¹

With healthcare reform’s focus on information technology (IT) as the primary vehicle for change, there has been an increased interest in this area. Health IT software has taken center stage as healthcare facilities look to implement new Stage 2 Meaningful Use requirements. So, it is no wonder that the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual meeting, held Feb. 23-27 in Orlando, Fla., drew a record crowd of attendees and exhibitors alike. 

GE Healthcare received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance of its Q.Clear technology, which is designed to provide up to two times improvement in both quantitative accuracy and image quality in PET/CT imaging. 

Congress recently passed the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, which requires use of appropriate use criteria (AUC) and clinical decision support (CDS) software to get Medicare reimbursement. This will likely shift focus onto IT vendors who can supply this software. In addition, the use of CDS is part of Stage 2 Meaningful Use requirements for electronic medical records (EMR), so the new Medicare requirements will move CDS up on many IT departments' priority lists.