Dear AuntMinnie Member,
We may be seeing the beginning of the end of the U.S. government's meaningful use (MU) program to spur healthcare IT adoption.
Or at least, the end of MU as an acronym, as U.S. regulatory authorities today announced the new Advancing Care Information (ACI) program, a tweaking of MU that's designed to make healthcare IT more flexible and interoperable for users.
MU was successful in raising the profile of healthcare IT in the U.S., but many providers grumbled about its one-size-fits-all approach that seemed to generate more busywork in meeting regulatory requirements than actual improvements in patient care. Time will tell if the ACI program is more successful.
Read more by clicking here, or visit our CIO Focus special section at cio.auntminnie.com.
Inappropriate SPECT in women
Are women more likely than men to receive inappropriate myocardial perfusion SPECT exams? A new study we're highlighting in our Molecular Imaging Community indicates that might be the case.
Researchers from the University of Florida reviewed nearly 1,500 cases -- split about evenly between women and men -- in which patients received SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) studies. They then analyzed each case to see whether the MPI study was appropriate given the patient's eventual diagnosis, or whether a different workup path should have been chosen.
They found that the rate of studies classified as inappropriate was twice as high among women, while more men got scans classified as appropriate. The difference could be because women present more frequently with atypical symptoms, the authors speculated.
Read more by clicking here, or visit our Molecular Imaging Community at molecular.auntminnie.com.
Cutting fluoro dose
Researchers are continuing to find new applications for virtual reality technology in healthcare. A group from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center described the development of what it calls an augmented reality procedure to improve needle guidance during fluoroscopy procedures while also cutting dose. Get the details by clicking here, or visit our Advanced Visualization Community at av.auntminnie.com.
CT of mummies
It's always fascinating when antiquities experts use CT to examine ancient mummies. This week's article in our AuntMinnie Middle East section is no exception. The story describes how Egyptian researchers used CT to solve mysteries that had persisted for thousands of years, since the time of the pharaohs. Learn more by clicking here, or visit middleeast.auntminnie.com.
