Dear AuntMinnie Member,
When the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005 was passed, some radiology advocates predicted that nonradiologist physicians who operate equipment in their own offices would be able to compensate for the law's reimbursement reductions by simply ordering more imaging tests.
There may be some truth to that, according to a story we're highlighting in our Imaging Center Digital Community by associate editor Kate Madden Yee. The article profiles research by imaging utilization expert Dr. David Levin and colleagues, who looked at the DRA's effect on procedure volume and payment for CT and MRI studies in the first year following the law's implementation.
The study found that the DRA had less of an impact on nonradiologist physicians than it did on radiologists. Find out by how much by clicking here, or visit the Imaging Center Digital Community at centers.auntminnie.com.
New breast PET/CT scanner
In other news, California researchers have developed a prototype PET/CT scanner for dedicated breast and extremity scanning, according to an article by features editor Wayne Forrest in our Molecular Imaging Digital Community.
The system offers the same type of hybrid functional/anatomic imaging that has made PET/CT so useful in other areas of the body, but it features a special design optimized for breast imaging. In addition, the researchers believe the 3D images acquired with the system avoid some of the tissue overlap problems that can plague conventional 2D breast imaging.
Learn more in our Molecular Imaging Digital Community by clicking here, or visit molecular.auntminnie.com.
