Dear AuntMinnie Member,
CHICAGO - Well, the 2017 edition of the RSNA meeting is in the books, and one thing is clear from this year's conference -- artificial intelligence (AI) was the dominant theme.
From overcrowded presentation rooms (the Chicago fire marshal actually had to evict some attendees from one packed room, we were told) to marketing hype on the technical exhibit floor, AI practically sucked all the oxygen out of McCormick Place.
Radiologists are intensely interested in AI, and while some of that is driven by fear of whether the technology could eventually replace them, they are also coming around to the idea that AI could actually be a boon by helping them do their jobs smarter and more efficiently.
AI's arrival has also come with a heavy dose of hype -- and that was on display at RSNA 2017 as well. As noted in our PACSman Awards article by Mike Cannavo, practically every vendor that could do so added a claim to its products and services that they were AI-powered, AI-driven, or AI-supported.
Only time will tell whether artificial intelligence will live up to the hype, but for now, it definitely gave RSNA attendees something to debate this week.
PACSman Awards
Speaking of the PACSman, he's back with his ever-popular PACSman Awards, which chronicle some of the hits and misses by companies showing their wares on the technical exhibit floor. Check out what he thought was worthy of attention by clicking here.
Imaging use grows
Utilization of medical imaging appears to be on the rise, according to a presentation by Dr. David C. Levin this week. Dr. Levin led a group that tracked utilization for the major imaging modalities from 2014 to 2015, finding single-digit gains for nearly all of them. The data suggest that the recent downward trend in imaging use has stopped, Dr. Levin said. Learn more by clicking here.
