We are a nation in search of simple solutions. We want silver bullets to slay whatever ails us. Value-based medicine is one of those bullets.

By putting the patient first, it promises to remedy the shortcomings that have caused healthcare in the U.S. to fall short of reliably providing services to all who could benefit. But, if it can do so at all (and that remains the subject of debate), value-based medicine will not do so simply.

Hologic Clarity
Siemens Mammomat Revelation’s HD Breast Biopsy solution, which enables one-click targeting of suspicious areas with a +/-1 mm accuracy
ScreenPoint’s Transpara automatically identifies soft-tissue and calcification lesions and combines the findings of all available views

The global breast imaging market is expected to reach $7.3 billion by 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., a San Franciso-based market research and consulting company. The increasing prevalence of breast cancer and supportive government initiatives to increase awareness are expected to boost demand in the market.1
Guideline updates and clinical research highlight the need for improved understanding of gender differences by clinicians and patients

Clinical research has revealed men and women often have different presentations for cardiovascular disease (CVD). This includes sex differences in terms of symptom presentation, diagnostic imaging and lab values. This may result in poor outcomes for women, whose symptoms do not match the classic presentations in males suffering from coronary ischemia.
Patient-Centered Care in Radiology. In today’s world of flashy new features and complicated equipment, we must remember to stop and ask ourselves, “What is this doing for the patient?”
Jennifer Kemp, M.D., FACR

As a radiologist in today’s evolving global healthcare landscape, I’m grateful for the innovations in medical technology that have enhanced my role in providing patients with an accurate diagnosis. These advancements serve to speed up the path to wellness for my patients, the ultimate reason that my colleagues and I come into work each day.
Metal artifact reduction led to a 20 percent increase in the planning target volume (PTV) in this prostate cancer case from Henry Ford Health System. The volume of the healthy bladder tissue to be spared was also reduced by 4 percent.

Computed tomography (CT) has long been the standard of care for imaging to plan radiation therapy (RT) treatments. 

May 3, 2018 — BWX Technologies Inc. signed a definitive agreement to acquire Sotera Health’s Nordion medical isotope business. The acquisition accelerates and de-risks BWXT’s entry into the medical radioisotope market by adding licensed infrastructure, approximately 150 highly trained and experienced personnel, and two production centers to BWXT.

Cardiac MRI being performed at the DeBakey Heart Hospital.
Recent MRI technological advances have opened up the possibilities for greater cardiac use of the costly imaging modality
Pie Medical’s cardiac MRI perfusion functional imaging CAAS MRV software for quantification.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for cardiac assessment provides a radiation-free alternative to other commonly used modalities like computed tomography (CT) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Cardiac MRI (CMR) offers greater contrast and image clarity than CT, does not require use of a contrast agent and allows radiation-free perfusion imaging. The technology does, however, present challenges unseen with other modalities. It remains the most expensive of all imaging exams, largely thanks to the length and complications of the scan itself. Furthermore, the use of magnets has traditionally made MRI inaccessible for patients with implanted medical devices.
Radiology PACS Systems comparison chart. Picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) are used to route digital medical images and reports.

The concept of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) has been part of radiology since the early 1970s. The technology has provided a way to hold and view large volumes of medical imaging data as radiology has transitioned away from analog image acquisition. In recent years, however, the rise of enterprise imaging has changed the role of PACS, and providers are looking for new, modern solutions, according to a 2017 report from independent research firm KLAS. Surveying thousands of healthcare professionals, the report found that performance from historically popular PACS vendors has declined, and newer market players have begun to set themselves apart.
Clinical contextual data by itself represents only a partial view of the patient record
Dave Whitney

Consolidation of health information is key to providing a comprehensive patient record —not only for visibility across the continuum of care, but also as the record set for value-based care. The advent of the electronic medical record (EMR) has pushed organizations into consolidating and collecting as much clinical information as possible within a single contextual data library. As this data feeds into the clinical data library, it can be visualized as a component of the patient record within the EMR. Traditionally, this contextual data alone could be considered an organization’s health information library. However, clinical contextual data by itself represents only a partial view of the patient record.

As healthcare systems continue to expand through consolidation and the amount of data generated by patients grows exponentially, so does the need to access that data from any location. Remote viewing systems are not a new concept in this landscape, as many picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) have built-in viewers or are accompanied by vendor neutral archives (VNA). But many of these solutions are still tied to the physical premises, limiting their utility outside the walls of the hospital — or even the department.
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