Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Software has begun to trump hardware when it comes to using technologies at the focal point of radiology. That trend is clear from this edition of Letter from the Editor, which features three articles on software developments that are changing medical imaging.
First up is an article that examines the two main approaches to developing mobile image review software: apps versus Web-based software. Apps can be slick and easy to use, but Web-based software -- particularly when based on HTML5 -- may offer more flexibility, according to a new article in our Advanced Visualization Digital Community.
Should radiologists care about what's under the hood when they're reviewing images? You might be surprised. Check out the article by clicking here, or visit the community at av.auntminnie.com.
Better image exchange
Meanwhile, healthcare IT software developers are staying up late trying to figure out ways to get rid of those pesky CDs for exchanging images. Some solutions are already on the market and form the core of a fascinating idea: developing regional image exchanges to share patient images between the data silos that currently exist among healthcare providers.
We bring you the story of one such exchange in our PACS Digital Community. Healthcare authorities in Alabama set up a six-hospital consortium, called the Central Alabama Health Image Exchange, to facilitate the transfer of images and cut the $150,000 a year spent at the University of Alabama on CDs. Learn more about this new project by clicking here, or go to pacs.auntminnie.com.
ACR targets decision support
Another important area of imaging informatics is decision support. Here, the goal is to adopt software-based methods for reducing inappropriate orders for imaging exams from referring physicians, staving off blunter approaches such as radiology benefits managers.
The key is to find an approach that has buy-in from both radiologists and referring physicians, and the American College of Radiology (ACR) is stepping into the void. The ACR is taking its Appropriateness Criteria -- which for the past 20 years have provided clinical use guidelines in paper form -- and adapting the criteria to today's digital age.
Earlier this month, the society announced ACR Select, an initiative to commercialize the Appropriateness Criteria in a digital form that can be easily imported into electronic health record (EHR) software -- and thus easily used by any referring physician who employs computerized physician order-entry (CPOE) software.
We offer a deep dive into the ACR Select initiative in our Healthcare IT Digital Community. Click here for the story, or visit the community at healthcareit.auntminnie.com.
