Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a crucial component of healthcare to help augment physicians and make them more efficient. In medical imaging, it is helping radiologists more efficiently manage PACS worklists, enable structured reporting, auto detect injuries and diseases, and to pull in relevant prior exams and patient data. In cardiology, AI is helping automate tasks and measurements on imaging and in reporting systems, guides novice echo users to improve imaging and accuracy, and can risk stratify patients. AI includes deep learning algorithms, machine learning, computer-aided detection (CAD) systems, and convolutional neural networks. 

Webinar: Evidence-based quality metrics are only the beginning

We cannot only focus on quality measurement Measuring is essential but not sufficient to improve quality, said Louis Diamond, MBChC, PACP, vice president and medical director for Thomson Reuters Healthcare and Science in a recent informational webinar on quality initiatives, sponsored by HIMSS.

Connectyx, Consult A Doctor tackle telehealth

Connectyx Technologies has signed a joint marketing agreement with telehealth provider Consult A Doctor to make available MedFlash Personal Health Managers.

Arkansas hospital upgrades with new Eclipsys Sunrise Enterprise 5.5

Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff, Ark., will be the first Eclipsys client to deploy Sunrise Enterprise 5.5, Eclipsys' latest suite of integrated EHR software. The entire hospital will upgrade, and initial activation is scheduled for late April, Eclipsys said.

Nearly 1 million now identified in Tenn. BlueCross hard drive theft

As of April 2, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee had identified 998,422 current and former members whose personal information was included in the theft of 57 hard drives in October 2009 at the payors Eastgate location.

MediBank acquires McKesson Asia-Pacific

Medibank has acquired McKesson Asia-Pacific to extend its healthcare management capability.

HealthAffairs: CPOE, CDS must go hand-in-hand

Incentives to hospitals relating to computerized physician order entry (CPOE) should include some type of demonstration that clinical decision support (CDS) is actually being employed, instead of being based solely on whether CPOE is in use, according to a study in the April edition of HealthAffairs.

HHS awards $267M for regional HIT extension centers

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $267 million in funding for 28 regional HIT assistance centers that will complete a nationwide network of 60 centers.

Report: States raise taxes for federal matching funds on Medicaid

In response to budget strains and high Medicaid demand, many states are raising taxes with healthcare providers in the crosshairs because revenue raised from those taxes can be used to obtain a larger amount of federal matching funds, according to the Tax Foundation.

Around the web

RBMA President Peter Moffatt discusses declining reimbursement rates, recruiting challenges and the role of artificial intelligence in transforming the industry.

Deepak Bhatt, MD, director of the Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital and principal investigator of the TRANSFORM trial, explains an emerging technique for cardiac screening: combining coronary CT angiography with artificial intelligence for plaque analysis to create an approach similar to mammography.

A total of 16 cardiology practices from 12 states settled with the DOJ to resolve allegations they overbilled Medicare for imaging agents used to diagnose cardiovascular disease.