Imaging Informatics

Imaging informatics (also known as radiology informatics, a component of wider medical or healthcare informatics) includes systems to transfer images and radiology data between radiologists, referring physicians, patients and the entire enterprise. This includes picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), wider enterprise image systems, radiology information. systems (RIS), connections to share data with the electronic medical record (EMR), and software to enable advanced visualization, reporting, artificial intelligence (AI) applications, analytics, exam ordering, clinical decision support, dictation, and remote image sharing and viewing systems.

Radiology IT expert Rik Primo explains issues with interfacing EMR data into radiology PACS. #interoperability #PACS

Improving interoperability between the PACS and EMR

Radiologists need better access to patient data stored in the electronic medical record, imaging IT expert Rik Primo explains. 

Radiology IT expert Rik Primo discusses trends he sees in imaging informatics at HIMSS and RSNA.

3 key radiology IT systems trends 

Imaging IT expert Rik Primo discusses emerging issues he saw at RSNA and HIMSS.

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Closed-loop communication tool improves value of radiologists' recommendations

Patients might sometimes undergo unnecessary and costly evaluations when specialists do not provide referrers with all of the necessary information. 

ChatGPT chatbot

ChatGPT effectively simplifies radiology reports, presents 'real opportunity' to better inform patients

Radiology reports are typically written in language well above the average American adult’s eighth grade reading level, making them a source of confusion for patients.

Signify Research analyst Amy Thompson discusses connecting pathology and others with enterprise imaging systems.

Interest rising to connect pathology, other departments to enterprise imaging systems

Signify Research senior analyst Amy Thompson explains the trend of connecting various departments to enterprise imaging systems. She said digital pathology may soon become the third largest user of these systems.

artificial intelligence in radiology medical imaging interpretation

Interpretive AI for medical imaging: 5 points of skepticism, idealism

Surveying the landscape of interpretive AI in radiology, two researchers note a yawning gap between great expectations set in the recent past and actual clinical implementations as of spring 2023.

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New AI tool helps radiologists reduce read times by up to 40%

Its use dropped the average time needed to examine a finding at all timepoints from 107 seconds to 65 seconds, with pulmonary nodule assessments benefiting from the greatest reductions.

Google's latest large language model is poised to give ChatGPT a run for its money in imaging

One of the main goals of Med-PaLM 2 is to “synthesize information like X-rays and mammograms to one day improve patient outcomes.” 

Around the web

Positron, a New York-based nuclear imaging company, will now provide Upbeat Cardiology Solutions with advanced PET/CT systems and services. 

The nuclear imaging isotope shortage of molybdenum-99 may be over now that the sidelined reactor is restarting. ASNC's president says PET and new SPECT technologies helped cardiac imaging labs better weather the storm.

CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.