Dear AuntMinnie Member,
A new study published in the June issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology offers proof of what many have long suspected -- that the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005 has led to lower salaries for radiologists.
But the direct impact of the law is relatively small, with researchers finding that the DRA's reimbursement cuts to outpatient imaging resulted in just a 1% drop in radiologist salaries, according to an article in the Imaging Center Digital Community by staff writer Kate Madden Yee.
The indirect impact of the DRA could be higher, however, because many payors are also adopting the law's reimbursement schedule for imaging services. Learn more by clicking here, or visit the community at centers.auntminnie.com.
SIIM news
In other news, the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine's (SIIM) annual meeting begins today in Charlotte, NC. Check in with our PACS Digital Community starting tomorrow for daily updates from this important healthcare informatics conference.
Color-coded CT protocols
Finally, we're highlighting a new story in our Pediatric Imaging Digital Community by staff writer Cynthia E. Keen that explains how Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston was able to cut radiation dose in pediatric CT studies through the use of a color-coding system for setting CT protocols.
MGH radiologists were already developing CT protocols designed for children, but they went a step further by developing color-coded guidelines that help imaging staff decide which CT settings to use. Learn how they did it -- and how much they cut dose -- by clicking here, or visit the community at pediatric.auntminnie.com.
