Residency training requirements in competencies related to radiology business practice and healthcare policy have been in place for more than a decade. However, despite the perceived importance of such competencies, curricula addressing these items still seem to be in a stage of acceptance and development, with further commitment and innovation needed, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Although major components of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) do not go into effect until 2014, the fate of PPACA depends on the outcomes of four key events this year, according to a perspective paper published online Jan. 26 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Six healthcare networks aspiring to become accountable care organizations (ACO) are the first to seek accreditation through a program launched by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, a Washington, D.C-based healthcare nonprofit organization.

The use of MRI in the treatment of lower back pain has been shown to do little to improve patient outcomes, and a study published online on Dec. 12 in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirmed that finding as researchers demonstrated that a MRI performed before an epidural steroid injection doesnt improve patient outcomes and does little to help physician decision making.

While the 2006 healthcare reform law in Massachusetts, referred to as the Accountable Health Care Act, served as a model for national healthcare reform, a closer look at the states statistics showed it may not make an effective federal system, according to a presentation on Nov. 29 the 97th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) held in Chicago.

Comparative effectiveness research can often lead to improved medical practice when a procedure is shown to be effective, but what happens when a procedure, especially a popular one, is shown to be ineffective?

CHICAGOThe Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will likely mean severe cuts to imaging, a reduction in the advancement of imaging technology and pressure on radiologists to work for hospitals under an accountable care organization (ACO) model, according to a presentation on Nov. 28 at the 97th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiology Society of North America (RSNA).

Unintended consequences of healthcare legislation enacted over the past 45 years threaten the financial and social well-being of the U.S.