Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Controversial whole-body scanning chain Heart Check America (HCA) is generating more headlines this week.
First, the company was hit with a $3.2 million fine by Colorado state regulators for performing scans of healthy individuals without physician referrals. Next, a Las Vegas law firm slapped the company with a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of a former customer who claims he was defrauded when he signed up for a 10-year "preventive" scanning package.
This week's headlines represent a stunning fall for a firm that at one point had customers flocking to purchase its whole-body scanning packages -- even taking out consumer loans in the middle of a recession to pay for them.
What were the secrets behind Heart Check America's success? And what caused the firm to fall so precipitously? Hear from former HCA employees who talked to AuntMinnie.com in an exclusive article you can read by clicking here.
CT use rises in the ED
In other news in our CT Digital Community, new research released this week repeats a common theme: CT use has risen over the past 10 years in U.S. emergency departments (EDs). But this story carries an intriguing wrinkle: The rise in CT use could also be causing a drop in hospital admissions after CT scans.
The decline is presumably due to patients who have pathology ruled out by their CT study and are sent home without hospitalization. That's a promising trend, as it indicates that increased imaging utilization actually has the potential to reduce healthcare costs when used judiciously.
But the study also found that the trend toward lower admission rates has declined in recent years. Learn more about the study by clicking here, or visit our CT Digital Community at ct.auntminnie.com.
