Dear Cardiac Imaging Insider,
What percentage of patients who undergo a cardiac MR exam will turn out to have significant noncardiac conditions visible on their scan? That seemingly innocuous question is the subject of this month's Insider Exclusive.
The question becomes more meaningful, of course, in the context of the growing debate over who should read high-end cardiac images. We've been covering the latest turf skirmishes between radiology, cardiology, and other specialties quite heavily on the "front page" of AuntMinnie.com.
In the U.S. the battle is now a full-fledged political struggle complete with backroom intrigue. The latest newsletter from the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, for example, describes how initiatives by the American College of Radiology were disclosed to opposing medical specialties by "a friendly industry source."
Perhaps because we have dutifully chronicled the initiatives in this battle, some readers have assumed that AuntMinnie.com takes a position on this issue, which we do not. Based on the lively response to our coverage, however, it's clear that we should continue matching your interest in this topic.
We've also been producing plenty of other clinical and business stories on cardiac imaging, as you'll see in the list of recent stories below. As always, I welcome your story suggestions and feedback.
