Dear AuntMinnie Member,
As 2012 winds to a close, we thought it would be a good idea to take a look back at the stories that made it such a fascinating year in radiology in our inaugural Year in Review section.
There was no shortage of major developments in 2012. The U.S. Supreme Court unexpectedly upheld President Barack Obama's healthcare reform plan, while federal policymakers continued to put pressure on Medicare reimbursement for imaging procedures.
On the clinical side, radiology continues to get a better handle on controlling and measuring CT radiation dose, while breast density has emerged as a big issue in breast imaging. Other important topics that rose to the top during the year included the U.S. government's meaningful use program, the (controversial) arrival of CT lung screening guidelines, and the American Board of Radiology's crackdown on board recalls.
You can view our take on the year's top events by clicking here. And stay tuned next week for our list of the specific stories that were most-viewed on the site, based on member traffic.
iPad for chest x-ray
One of the Year in Review topics is mobile imaging, and we bring you an article in that vein this week in our PACS Digital Community.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital tested the ability of their homegrown iPad image review app in chest radiography. They gave the iPad mixed reviews, finding it performed as well as a conventional PACS workstation for cases with pneumothorax, but not so well in nonpneumothorax cases.
Get the rest of the details by clicking here, or visit our PACS Digital Community at pacs.auntminnie.com.
Chartrounds to the rescue
If you're a community-based radiation oncologist, where do you turn for support if you need help on a tough case? How about Chartrounds, a new online support network designed to make expert opinions and advice available to radiation therapy providers.
Chartrounds is the brainchild of Dr. Patricia Harrigan Hardenbergh, medical director of radiation oncology at a cancer center in a small town in Colorado. Dr. Hardenbergh saw the need for a service that might help alleviate the isolation felt by many working in community and rural locations.
Learn more about Chartrounds by clicking here, or visit our Radiation Oncology Digital Community at radiation.auntminnie.com.
