Dear Ultrasound Insider,
In today's resource-stretched healthcare environments, sonographers may be considered for expanded roles. If two studies we're featuring this month are any indication, experienced sonographers appear up for the task of performing screening breast ultrasound and, in a pinch, reporting emergency abdominal ultrasound exams.
In a study presented at the RSNA 2013 meeting in Chicago earlier this month, researchers found that sonographers performing screening breast ultrasound exams could yield similar cancer detection rates and positive predictive values, compared with physicians.
The research is the subject of our Insider Exclusive, which you have access to before our regular members.
Australian researchers are also assessing the role of sonographers for interpreting emergency abdominal ultrasound studies when radiologists are unavailable to provide reports in a timely fashion. A team from Monash University determined that sonographers' findings agreed with radiologists' in 85% of cases, with no major discrepancies. Find out more here.
In other recent articles in your Ultrasound Digital Community, automated breast ultrasound turned in a similar diagnostic performance to handheld ultrasound, in a study presented at RSNA 2013. Get all the details here.
You also don't want to miss the latest column from Dr. Jason Birnholz. In Part 13 of his Practice of Ultrasound series, Birnholz explores the topic of liver fat and fibrosis.
Is there an ultrasound topic you'd like to see covered? As always, please feel free to drop me a line.
