The Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) has been a lightning rod for discussion since its inclusion in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). But while supporters viewed it as a centerpiece of reform, and detractors called it rationing, IPAB may never get a chance to impact healthcare at all, according to an article published May 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Continuing its focus on meeting customer needs, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. named Beverly Plost director, MR Business Unit. Plost will be responsible for implementing strategic marketing plans to drive growth and profitability of Toshiba’s MR product line. Plost will also interface with Toshiba’s global business unit at Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (TMSC) in Japan to communicate the needs and requirements of the U.S. market.

The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC) today said that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)’s scoring of President Obama’s FY14 budget confirmed that the use of prior authorization schemes for imaging within the Medicare program would produce no savings and impede Medicare beneficiaries’ access to life-saving imaging services.

The endlessly quotable Yogi Berra once said, “It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.” An interesting study on healthcare spending may have proven this quip true once again, which could mean good news for the sustainability of the U.S. healthcare system.

A systemic analysis of clinical oncology trials shows discrepancies in the structure of cancer trials as well as differences among oncology studies, according to a study published online in JAMA Internal Medicine. The findings suggest room for improvement to help stakeholders and policy makers understand how research affects practice and determine optimal use of healthcare resources.

Bundled payments may offer more revenue opportunities for practices or bring headaches and concerns, but either way, practices should take a close look at their processes to find ways to streamline, according to an article published in the April issue of The American Journal of Managed Care.

A picture paints a thousand words. Seeing inside the body, without recourse to a scalpel, through x-rays, CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds, has revolutionized patient diagnosis and treatment. Yet the sought for certainty and confirmation of suspected diagnoses is not always conclusive, and may introduce unintended consequences, such as investigation momentum: additional, and potentially excessive and invasive, diagnostic testing.

The New England Journal of Medicine published a firsthand account of a physician's volunteer detail at the Boston Marathon. Check out the perspective for a handle on helplessness and healing. Be sure to check out the May/June issue of Health Imaging to learn more about how battlefield innovations bettered trauma managament in Boston and beyond.