According to the American College of Radiology, an estimated 68 million Computed Tomography (CT) scans are performed in the United States each year. CT imaging makes it possible to see inside the body to help diagnose a variety of medical conditions, from determining if a child has a head injury from an accident during soccer practice to imaging the liver or kidneys to help physicians accurately diagnose disease.

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) won’t just materialize from thin air. They must be based on collaboration among physicians and hospitals, and supported by a robust infrastructure. This is a challenge that has not yet been resolved, according to Jeff Goldsmith, PhD, President of Health Futures and associate professor of Public Health Sciences at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville.

Health Imaging seeks to recognize and reward five practices that exemplify patient engagement via its Imaging 3.0: Patient-Centric Imaging Awards.

Rationing has become a dirty word in healthcare politics, but a survey of oncologists, patients and members of the general public found a majority supported controlling healthcare costs by denying payment for expensive care if it didn’t improve survival or quality of life, according to results presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.

The price discrepancy between colonoscopies performed in the U.S. and exams in other countries is at the heart of escalating medical costs in the U.S., according to an article in the NY Times. Colonoscopies are over-performed and over-priced in the U.S., the author asserts. Read more at the link below.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has introduced the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Transparency and Accountability Act of 2013, calling for changes to the process by which USPSTF makes formal recommendations for preventive care services.

Philips Healthcare will supply the Department of Defense with a digital imaging network PACS under a $88.5 million contract, according to a report from The Motley Fool.

GE Healthcare has signed an agreement to acquire Golden, Colo.-based Unisyn Medical Technologies, a diagnostic imaging products and services provider, according to Zacks Equity Research.