Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Will a proposed new policy on Medicare PET payments for oncology imaging limit access to the technology? That's the fear of a number of medical imaging groups, which are lobbying to head off the upcoming change before it takes effect.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in March proposed changing its policy on reimbursement for PET imaging of cancer, proposing to pay for one initial scan -- but leaving coverage of subsequent scans up to local Medicare contractors.
PET proponents believe the lack of a national policy will result in physicians not ordering the scans when patients need them; they feel that PET's utility for follow-up imaging has been demonstrated and is worthy of reimbursement, according to a story by features editor Wayne Forrest.
Learn more by clicking here, or visit our Molecular Imaging Digital Community at molecular.auntminnie.com.
Clunie on color
The use of color is becoming increasingly common in medical imaging, but color's rise is creating thorny issues for PACS administrators, according to Dr. David Clunie in an exclusive article in our PACS Digital Community.
The issues involved in color were addressed at a recent meeting at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's headquarters. Topping the agenda was color consistency, or whether a color viewed on one workstation shows up the same on another.
Color on mobile devices is also becoming an issue as physicians increasingly use smartphones and tablet computers in their jobs. Learn more by clicking here, or visit the PACS Digital Community at pacs.auntminnie.com.
Optimize your CT protocols
As CT technology gets more complex, scanner protocols are becoming more complicated. It's become a major issue, as an incorrect protocol could have disastrous consequences such as overradiated patients.
Managing CT scanning protocols is the subject of a new article in our CT Digital Community, in which international editor Eric Barnes reports on a presentation from a recent virtual symposium that addressed the topic.
Learn how to best manage your protocols by clicking here, or visit the CT Digital Community at ct.auntminnie.com.
