Dear AuntMinnie Member,
How will Obamacare affect radiology in the U.S.? That's the $64,000 question on everyone's mind as many states begin to lay the groundwork for the mammoth expansion of healthcare coverage.
One possible answer: The effects will be significant, but it may be many years before they take full effect, according to an article in our Imaging Leaders Digital Community this week.
The story profiles a recent talk by Dr. Andrew Bindman, from the University of California, San Francisco, who analyzes Obamacare in detail, in particular its impact on the traditional fee-for-service healthcare model. Bindman sees major differences between the initiative and other recent attempts to reform healthcare; Obamacare's emphasis on quality and accountability will also take some getting used to.
Learn more by clicking here, or visit the community at leaders.auntminnie.com.
SIIM 2013 preview
In other news, the 2013 edition of the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) annual meeting begins later this week in Texas. AuntMinnie.com's editorial team will be onsite providing full coverage, but to whet your appetite, we're highlighting a SIIM 2013 preview in our PACS Digital Community featuring the meeting's program committee chair, Katherine Andriole, PhD.
SIIM 2013 offers a range of educational and networking opportunities for attendees, from learning tracks on entrepreneurship to sessions on reinventing the role of the radiologist. In addition, there will be a host of sessions for imaging informatics professionals and certified imaging informatics professionals. Get the inside scoop on what to expect by clicking here.
Viewers and VNAs
While you're in the PACS Digital Community, check out the latest contribution from consulting firm Ascendian Healthcare Consulting on the relationship between vendor-neutral archives (VNAs) and universal image viewers.
VNAs are getting attention as an alternative to PACS networks that revolve around a single vendor's software, offering a more open solution for healthcare providers. In the past, it's been assumed that a facility would install the VNA first and then offer universal viewers to provide personnel across the enterprise with a way to view medical imaging data.
But Ascendian consultant Jef Williams proposes a different scenario, in which the viewer comes first and the VNA later. This can produce a number of benefits for the facility as it rolls out the VNA network. Find out what they are by clicking here, or visit our PACS Digital Community at pacs.auntminnie.com.
