Physicians who introduce the topic of cost into discussions with their patients may find it resembles talking to the proverbial wall. Focus group findings show that public attitudes about healthcare costs must shift significantly for cost to be an explicit factor in clinical decisions, according to an article published in the February issue of Health Affairs. 

Former Senate Majority and Minority Leader Tom Daschle will provide the keynote address “Getting It Done: What’s Next for Healthcare Reform,” at the American College of Radiology’s (ACR) Radiology Leadership Institute.

Overinterpretation and misreporting of results in diagnostic accuracy studies occurs frequently in journals with high impact factors, which may increase healthcare costs and lead to patient harm. The results of the study were published online Jan. 30 in Radiology. Potential overinterpretation was found in all imaging studies.

Informing physicians of the exact price of imaging tests at the point of order entry does little to sway utilization of MRI and other common exams, according to a study published online Jan. 2 in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

The U.S. market for diagnostic imaging equipment servicing will remain largely flat, with a slow growth rate of half a percent per year expected through 2017, according to a report from Millennium Research Group (MRG).

A comprehensive cost-effectiveness analysis for localized prostate cancer revealed small differences in patient outcomes and large differences in payer and patient costs across various prostate cancer treatment options, according to a study published online Dec. 28, 2012, in British Journal of Urology International.

Los Angeles County Superior Court is awarding Allstate Insurance Company more than $7 million in a qui tam action filed by the insurer on its behalf and on behalf of the People of the State of California against a Long Beach chiropractor, Daniel H. Dahan, DC, and his business, Progressive Diagnostic Imaging, arising from a scheme to defraud insurance companies.

CHICAGO—Radiologists should prepare for an era of increased consumerism in medicine where individuals will drive the market, according to a Nov. 27 presentation at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).