Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Has computer-aided detection (CAD) for lung nodules fallen short of its original promise? Maybe, but that could be starting to change, especially if CT lung cancer screening is implemented on a widespread basis, according to Dr. Geoffrey Rubin of Duke University.
In a recent talk, Dr. Rubin described the challenge of lung nodule detection. CAD has been shown to be effective in helping radiologists with the task, but questions remain about the adequacy of current systems, and about how CAD can best be used -- for example, after radiologists have reviewed a case, or concurrently while they are reading the study? Learn about these questions and more by clicking here for an article in our Advanced Visualization Digital Community.
While you're in the community, be sure to read an article on the use of MRI histogram analysis for predicting the aggressiveness of bladder tumors. That story is available by clicking here, or visit our Advanced Visualization Digital Community at av.auntminnie.com.
OCR and PACS
In other news, make sure to visit our Imaging Informatics Community for an article on a better way of extracting region-of-interest values from images displayed on PACS viewers. Optical character recognition (OCR) software could both save time and reduce errors from manual data entry, according to the article.
Who is the better radiologist?
If you were a patient, would you rather have your imaging study read by a radiologist who pored over the case and ordered extensive follow-up exams to investigate questionable findings -- many of which turned out to be negative? Or by a radiologist who read cases quickly but sometimes missed pathology?
Now assume you're a hospital administrator. Which radiologist would you rather have on your staff?
The questions highlight the tricky issue of quality in radiology, according to a new column by Dr. Saurabh Jha. He points out that quality can mean different things to different people, which can have major implications in the coming era of accountable care and pay-for-performance.
Read his thought-provoking column by clicking here, or visit our Imaging Leaders Digital Community at leaders.auntminnie.com.
