Dear Healthcare IT Insider,
So much information, so little time! That sums up the effect every RSNA annual meeting has on me, and this year was no different, especially for healthcare informatics.
One major trend that was evident is increased use of all the patient and performance data that have been accumulating in electronic medical records, radiology information systems, and PACS.
Just as 2000 marked the year that PACS became a domineering presence at the RSNA annual meeting, I think 2009 will mark a major milestone in healthcare IT's utilization of software applications to improve healthcare delivery -- for example, in critical results reporting -- and, ultimately, to improve patient safety.
The scientific posters and presentations at Lakeside Learning Center, formerly infoRAD, traditionally have been a source of innovations, and this year was no different. It's easy to overlook some great ideas, and because of this, our Insider Exclusive for the Healthcare IT Digital Community focuses on three posters covering ways that healthcare IT can help increase the safety of diagnostic imaging exams requiring the use of contrast agents.
AuntMinnie.com's coverage of healthcare IT-related presentations was extensive. The RSNA's launch of a free portfolio of 70 best-practice radiology report templates may have a longstanding impact on your practice, if you choose to adopt some or all of them. Click here to learn more and find a direct link to the report template library.
Speaking of reporting, for those of you who use speech recognition software and self-editing -- but feel that occasional access to an editor/transcriptionist would improve your productivity -- you'll want to read what a research team from East Carolina University has discovered, reported by senior editor Erik L. Ridley.
What do physicians really want in a radiology report? Find out by clicking here, and let me know if you concur with the results of this survey conducted by Hershey Medical Center in Pennsylvania.
Have you perused AuntMinnie.com's RADCast @ RSNA and Road to RSNA Healthcare Informatics Preview yet? Both contain lots of news that we think will be of interest to you, written by an editorial team that provides more coverage of RSNA 2009 than any other print or online publication.
Finally -- may you have a joyous holiday season!
