Dear AuntMinnie Member,
At one time, physicians who passed their board exams received certifications that were valid for the rest of their lives, as long as they met continuing medical education requirements.
All that began to change with the launch of maintenance of certification (MOC) programs, which require physicians to renew their certifications by taking board-like exams every so often, say every five or 10 years. Some programs even have annual requirements.
It's safe to say that radiologists haven't embraced the MOC concept enthusiastically, despite the vocal advocacy of the American Board of Radiology, which has been charged with applying MOC programs in medical imaging. Now the MOC concept has come under fire in a lawsuit filed by a physician group that claims MOC is not only unnecessary, it's a "moneymaking scheme" that restricts patients' access to physicians and burdens providers with costs that go far beyond the exam fees.
The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) this week filed suit against the American Board of Medical Specialties, which developed the MOC concept, seeking to have the program thrown out. AAPS levels a number of charges against MOC, which you can read about by clicking here.
Many radiologists may agree with the lawsuit, but does it really have a chance of succeeding? Join the conversation in our Residents Forum by clicking here.
More benefits for 3D tomo
Evidence continues to accumulate on the improved effectiveness of digital breast tomosynthesis, also known as 3D mammography, for improving breast screening.
A new study published April 25 in Lancet Oncology concluded that adding tomosynthesis to standard 2D mammography screening found 50% more cancers than conventional mammography alone -- while also cutting recall rates.
The study confirms previous research on the effectiveness of 3D mammography. However, radiation dose remains an important issue, as women are still being exposed to two exams. Read more by clicking here for an article in our Women's Imaging Digital Community.
While you're in the community, be sure to check out this article from the recent American Roentgen Ray Society meeting about using MRI as an adjunct to mammography for detecting cancer in women with breast implants. These stories and more are available at women.auntminnie.com.
Docs nix CAD clicks
Finally, one of the most annoying things about computer-aided detection (CAD) software is when it requires radiologists to click repeatedly around an image to make a diagnosis.
That's the conclusion of a study we're highlighting this week in our Advanced Visualization Digital Community from researchers in Germany, who assessed physician preferences when using CAD software.
The researchers found that doctors preferred CAD software to be more highly automated and seamlessly integrated with PACS. Learn more by clicking here, or visit the community at av.auntminnie.com.
