Dear AuntMinnie Member,
CT is making headlines again this week, with the publication of several articles and research studies pointing to the pros and cons of this powerful imaging modality.
First up is another highly publicized article in the New York Times on CT radiation dose, this time targeting the "double scanning" of patients by performing two studies, one with and one without contrast. The newspaper found that many facilities in the U.S. continue to scan patients twice, despite the fact that two scans are almost never medically necessary. Read our coverage of the story by clicking here.
The article has already generated a lively thread in our Forums, where AuntMinnie.com members are discussing how they deal with requests from referring physicians for imaging procedures that might not be necessary. Join the debate by clicking here.
On the positive side, two studies have been published in the past few days on how CT can potentially improve patient care and reduce healthcare costs. In one study, researchers used CT to scan children with minor blunt head trauma -- kids with normal scans were discharged without the need for observation in the hospital, with few negative outcomes.
In another study published this week, researchers used CT to scan patients with suspected appendicitis. Patients who got the CT-based protocol underwent fewer negative appendectomies than those who didn't.
Taken together, all three articles indicate that while CT is a powerful tool, it must be used judiciously to take advantage of its full potential. Learn more in our CT Digital Community at ct.auntminnie.com.
FDA offers advice for software developers
In other news, if you develop imaging informatics software, you might want to take a look at a new article in our Healthcare IT Digital Community on recent changes in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approach to software regulation.
The FDA has implemented some new regulatory procedures for imaging informatics products, and it's also touting what it calls a more flexible attitude toward regulation. Get the rest of the details -- such as whether your home-grown RIS or PACS needs FDA approval -- by clicking here, or visit the community at healthcareit.auntminnie.com.
