Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Concern over radiation dose in medical procedures is rising, and a variety of new tools are being developed to help protect both patients and providers. This week we're profiling one of them, a device called Bleeper Sv that provides audible warnings in real-time during interventional procedures.
One of the problems with existing tools for tracking radiation dose is that they don't give users real-time feedback on how much dose they are getting. Bleeper Sv addresses this issue through an alarm that creates a series of beeps that grow more frequent as radiation dose rises. The device is designed to enable interventional personnel to reduce dose while procedures are still underway.
How well does Bleeper Sv work in practice? Researchers from Texas put the device through its paces, and we offer you a report on its performance.
2015 codes for breast biopsies
As 2014 draws to a close, this could be a great time to review what's ahead in terms of coding for imaging procedures in 2015.
In our latest contribution from coding specialist Jeff Majchrzak of Panacea Healthcare Solutions, we review upcoming changes in coding for breast biopsy procedures.
The American Medical Association recently posted an errata sheet alerting providers to changes in reporting instructions for image-guided procedures -- changes that providers may not even be aware of.
Get the inside scoop by clicking here, or visit our Imaging Leaders Community at leaders.auntminnie.com.
Many CT malignancies from suspicious chest x-rays
Finally, radiologists from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston decided to look at almost 30,000 suspicious chest radiographs that were referred for CT. They found a rather shocking number of malignancies on CT, leading the study authors to wonder if the current drive to reduce referrals for additional imaging may be misplaced, at best -- or a deadly way to run a radiology department, at worst.
Get the rest of the story by clicking here, or visit our CT Community at ct.auntminnie.com.
