Disclosing medical errors to a patient is a difficult, but necessary process. As troubling as it is for a veteran physician, it’s particularly stressful for medical trainees.

Washington, D.C. – The Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC) today underscored the inclusion of physician-developed appropriate use criteria (AUC) in the recently passed legislation to extend the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) patch for 12 months in response to a JAMA Internal Medicine article that compiled a list of “low value” medical imaging procedures.

Three out of four physicians believe that their fellow doctors order unnecessary tests or procedures at least once a week, according to a recent survey.

Added focus on report quality could make radiology more visible and enhance radiologists’ value in health care, according to an article published online May 16 by the Journal of the American College of Radiology. 

American College of Radiology-accredited advanced diagnostic imaging facilities need knowledge about the most common sources of deficiencies and recommendations to better prepare them for validation site surveys and reduce their chances of being noncompliant, according to a study published online May 14 by the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Patient education is an important part of care, but only so much information can be conveyed during a brief office visit, and even then it’s a small audience. New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center in New York City, however, reports having great success with public educational sessions covering cancer screening.

Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric Shinseki has ordered a national audit of all VA clinics, specifically of patient access and scheduling conditions, following a House VA Committee vote to subpoena Shinseki over reports of treatment delays.

Last week, Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC) disappointed those who were hoping for full national coverage of low-dose CT screening for patient at high risk for lung cancer.