Dear AuntMinnie Member,
A closely watched bill in the California Legislature that would require healthcare providers to monitor CT radiation dose more closely moved a step closer to becoming law last week.
The bill, SB 1237, was passed by a wide margin by the state Assembly on Thursday, according to an article by international editor Eric Barnes in our CT Digital Community. Once it clears a procedural vote in the Senate, it will go on to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has until September 30 to sign or veto the bill.
Is this bill a positive step forward that will help healthcare providers get a handle on medical radiation dose in California, which has seen a number of overdose incidents in the past year? Or does it set the stage for a patchwork of state-by-state efforts to regulate dose? Read the story by clicking here, then let us know what you think in our Forums.
Also in the community, learn about a new method of iterative reconstruction that's designed to let CT users have their cake and eat it too -- lower dose and better-looking images. Find that story by clicking here, or visit the community at ct.auntminnie.com.
Rads respond to performance incentives
Would an extra $5,000 motivate you to speed up turnaround time for radiology reports? Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston wanted to find out, and what they discovered is being featured this week in our Imaging Leaders Digital Community.
Radiologists were eligible for a $5,000 bonus for meeting turnaround time targets, first set at 24 hours and then reduced even further to eight hours. The study found that turnaround times did drop over the study period, but it's unclear whether the improvement was attributable to the financial incentives, or whether other factors -- such as peer pressure -- were involved.
Learn more by clicking here, or visit the community at leaders.auntminnie.com.
