Radiology and imaging

386 articles · Since 2005

Articles, page 15

Increasing radiation exposure to patients from CT scans and other imaging tests

August 28, 2009Aug 28, 20094

by Kristina Fiore, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Imaging procedures can expose patients to high cumulative doses of radiation, researchers say. In a large study, 193.8 people per 1,000 were exposed to moderate doses of radiation each year, while 18.6 per…

by Kristina Fiore, Staff Writer, MedPage Today

Imaging procedures can expose patients to high cumulative doses of radiation, researchers say.

In a large study, 193.8 people per 1,000 were exposed to moderate doses of radiation each year, while 18.6 per 1,000 were exposed to high doses, and 1.9 per 1,000 received very high doses, according to Reza Fazel, MD, of …

Conditions and diseases

Do patients really need their complete lab and radiology reports?

Kevin

August 21, 2009Aug 21, 200931

Most prefer the bottom line, sparing them the raw data. Primary care physician Rob Lamberts asks that exact question, and reprints sample reports of lab tests and an echocardiogram, demonstrating the wealth of information they contain. So, borrowing this image…

Most prefer the bottom line, sparing them the raw data.

Primary care physician Rob Lamberts asks that exact question, and reprints sample reports of lab tests and an echocardiogram, demonstrating the wealth of information they contain.

So, borrowing this image from Dr. Rob, I’m not sure how useful something like this would be to patients (sorry for the small type, but you get the idea): …

Health policy

ACR: Reducing medical imaging costs requires a short term investment

James H. Thrall, MD

July 9, 2009Jul 9, 20098

The following is a guest post from the American College of Radiology. by James H. Thrall, M.D. Health care reform cannot be approached with a “one size fits all” cost-cutting mentality. Reducing costs in the long term often requires an…

The following is a guest post from the American College of Radiology.

by James H. Thrall, M.D.

Health care reform cannot be approached with a “one size fits all” cost-cutting mentality. Reducing costs in the long term often requires an investment in the short term — particularly, in regard to medical imaging.

Medical imaging saves lives. Imaging also saves dollars through earlier disease diagnosis, less invasive medical procedures, shorter hospital stays, and …

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What happens if you swallow a pair of scissors

Kevin

April 11, 2009Apr 11, 2009

Cool x-rays, but more importantly, why was this man cleaning his teeth with a pair of scissors in the first place?(via Shadowfax)

Cool x-rays, but more importantly, why was this man cleaning his teeth with a pair of scissors in the first place?

(via Shadowfax)

What happens if you swallow a pair of scissors

Physician voices

Nighthawks, dayhawks, and the demise of the American radiologist

Kevin

March 29, 2009Mar 29, 20099

More hospitals are resorting to so-called "dayhawk" radiology services to read their x-rays.It's modeled after the "nighthawk" model, where radiologists (via Shadowfax), in some cases as far away as India, remotely read films in the middle of the night.Now, the…

More hospitals are resorting to so-called “dayhawk” radiology services to read their x-rays.

It’s modeled after the “nighthawk” model, where radiologists (via Shadowfax), in some cases as far away as India, remotely read films in the middle of the night.

Now, the phenomenon is happening during business hours as well, which according to radiologist Giles W. L. Boland, means that “some radiologists can no longer assume long-term …

Health policy

Why too many CT and MRI scans can hurt patients

Kevin Pho, MD

December 9, 2008Dec 9, 20086

This is an important article to read.Many of the incentives today encourage doctors to order more advanced imaging scans, like CTs and MRIs. This expensive practice is invariably caused by this common scenario, as "patients who are in pain often…

This is an important article to read.

Many of the incentives today encourage doctors to order more advanced imaging scans, like CTs and MRIs. This expensive practice is invariably caused by this common scenario, as “patients who are in pain often demand scans hoping to find out what is wrong, doctors are tempted to offer scans to those patients, and then, once a scan is done, it …

Health technology

Are MRI results accurate? Not all scans are equal.

Kevin Pho, MD

October 14, 2008Oct 14, 2008

Most physicians and patients think that the MRI scan is one of the more sensitive and comprehensive diagnostic tests. However, there is significant variability in reading and performing the scans, which makes having it done at a reputable institution more…

Most physicians and patients think that the MRI scan is one of the more sensitive and comprehensive diagnostic tests.

However, there is significant variability in reading and performing the scans, which makes having it done at a reputable institution more imperative:

Magnetic resonance machines, though, vary enormously, and not just in the strength of their magnets. Even more important, radiologists say, is the quality of the imaging

…