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. 

Foresight adds audio recording to TIMS DICOM

Foresight Imaging has released version 2.2 of its TIMS DICOM system with new features that include audio recording and annotation as well as audio playback.

Cerner sees uptick for Q1

Healthcare information service provider Cerner has reported that its 2009 first quarter profit rose from the prior year on higher revenues, reflecting a strong performance from its support, maintenance and services business.

IBM allots $2B to support stimulus health IT implementation

IBM Global Financing, the lending and leasing business segment of IBM, is adding a $2 billion financing component to help providers finance health IT initiatives tied to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Google Health stumbles over insurance claims data

Insurance data used by online personal health records such as Google's and Microsoft's are prone to inaccuracies, due to the diagnostic coding language or due to mislabeling.

CDW offers free server virtualization assessments

CDW, a provider of technology products and services to business, government and education, today announced an assessment services offering for qualifying medium and large organizations to consider server virtualization at no cost and with minimal effort required from the participant.

Hospitals struggle to comply with federal identity theft rules

Approximately 80 percent of U.S. hospitals are still not in compliance with federal Red Flags Rules that require businesses and organizations to create identity theft prevention programs, according to a survey of healthcare executives released by Identity Force.

EMC to slash expenses after weak Q1

EMC, a provider of information infrastructure solutions, saw revenues and net income slip in the first quarter of 2009, and has announced plans to take cost reduction actions to reduce its information infrastructure costs by almost $450 million.

Obama names first-ever CTO to oversee health IT

President Barack Obama has named Virginia's Technology Secretary Aneesh P. Chopra to be the nation's first chief technology officer (CTO).

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.