Quality

The focus of quality improvement in healthcare is to bolster performance and processes related to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Leaders in this space also ensure the proper selection of imaging exams and procedures, and monitor the safety of services, among other duties. Reimbursement programs such as the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) utilize financial incentives to improve quality. This also includes setting and maintaining care quality initiatives, such as the requirements set by the Joint Commission.

As artificial intelligence (AI) adoption expands in radiology, there is growing concern that AI algorithms needs to undergo quality assurance (QA) reviews. How to validate radiology AI? How can you validate medical imaging AI?

Concerns raised over how hospitals can validate radiology AI algorithms

As artificial intelligence (AI) adoption expands in radiology, there is growing concern that AI algorithms need to undergo quality assurance (QA) reviews.

August 19, 2022
Bibb Allen, MD, FACR, chief medical officer of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Data Science Institute, and former ACR president, explains how hospitals or radiology departments can conduct quality assurance (QA) assessments on artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms they adopt to ensure they are accurate. The ACR established the Assess-AI Registry and AI-Lab to help with validating and tracking AI QA for FDA-cleared algorithms.

VIDEO: Validation monitoring for radiology AI to ensure accuracy

Bibb Allen, MD, FACR, Chief Medical Officer of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Data Science Institute, and former ACR president, explains how hospitals or radiology departments can conduct quality assurance assessments on artificial intelligence algorithms they adopt to ensure they are accurate. 

August 19, 2022
The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association have collaborated on a new update to the much-discussed 2021 chest pain guidelines. The American College of Emergency Physicians and Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions also contributed to the document.

EHR tracking system significantly improves diagnostic timelines for liver cancer patients

Implementing an EHR cancer tracking system to review radiology reports for abnormal findings resulted in patients at one Veterans Affairs Hospital receiving their cancer diagnosis and treatment months earlier than those who were imaged before the system was put into place.

August 8, 2022
With the shortage, which pertains specifically to all formulations and concentrations of GE Healthcare’s Omnipaque (iohexol), expected to last until mid-June, several organizations have eluded that conservation efforts are of critical importance.#contrastshortage #CTcontrast #iodinatedcontrast

Have we been 'overdependent' on iodinated contrast? New paper calls into question prior practices before the shortage

"Ultimately, long-term studies are vital to parse out whether the absence of iodinated contrast media greatly affected patient outcomes or if we have been overdependent on ICM unnecessarily.” 

July 28, 2022
MRI

Philips seeks to reduce MRI scan times with new FDA cleared AI-powered software

The new AI addition is said to increase resolution by up to 65% and is compatible with 97% of current MRI protocols.

July 13, 2022
Lung

Reducing image-guided lung biopsy complications

Experts observed significantly reduced pneumothorax and pulmonary hemorrhage rates of 8% and 6% when utilizing the method.

July 7, 2022

Measures associated with hospital readmission of pancreatitis patients

Beyond readmission, 32.9% of patients with increased pancreatic necrosis volumes required additional invasive interventions.

July 6, 2022
health_insurance_family.png

Big private payer reverses course on cardiac PET/CT coverage

One of the largest private health insurers in the U.S. has gone from considering hybrid PET/CT for cardiac indications “experimental/investigational” to displaying willingness to pay for the modality. 

July 1, 2022

Around the web

The newly approved AI models are designed to improve the detection of pulmonary embolisms and strokes in patients who undergo CT scans.

"I see, at least for the next decade, this being a SPECT and PET world, not one or the other," explained Tim Bateman, MD.

The FDA-approved technology developed by HeartFlow can predict a patient's long-term risk of target vessel failure as well as more invasive treatments performed inside a cath lab. 

Trimed Popup
Trimed Popup