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. 

Agfa taps Nyns as CFO

Agfa HealthCare has hired Jos Nyns as its chief financial officer (CFO).

Cardinal Health names new CEO, chairman

Cardinal Health of Dublin, Ohio, has named George Barrett its new chairman and CEO.

FTC issues final PHR breach-notification rule

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a final rule requiring certain Web-based personal health record (PHR) vendors to notify consumers when the security of their electronic health information has been breached.

HHS issues notification rule in patient data breaches

New regulations requiring healthcare providers, health plans and other HIPAA-covered entities to notify an individual when their health information is breached were issued Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

New software tools may improve detection of cancer biomarkers

The growth of genomic and proteomic data has ushered in a new era of molecular medicine in which cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment are tailored to each individual's molecular profile, according to researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. This personalized medicine approach requires researchers to discover and link biomarkers, such as genes or proteins, to specific disease behaviors, such as the rate of tumor progression and different responses to treatments.

KLAS: Tough EMR sales in 2008, future looks brighter Epic leads the pack

Healthcare IT research firm KLAS has released its annual clinical market share report, which details the wins and losses of acute-care EMR vendors at large hospitals with more than 200 beds. The report found that in 2008, EMR vendors sold the fewest number of new contracts in the United States and Canada in the last seven years.

AHIMA hosts summit on legal issues surrounding EHRs

The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) is hosting a summit to provide new information and industry experts perspectives on current and emerging issues affecting the legal EHR, evidentiary support and records management in Chicago this week.

NAHIT disbands, relinquishes role to CHIME, AHA

After playing a major role in elevating health IT into a leadership issue in the United States, the National Alliance for Health Information Technology (NAHIT) will cease operation on Sept. 30.

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.