Radiologic Associates of Gardiner, N.Y., faces a $2.1 million tab after the group's failure to communicate findings of a spinal lesion on a CT scan to a patient resulted in permanent loss of sensation to the patient's legs. The plaintiff’s lawyers partially credited the verdict to their use of iPads to project CT and PET images onto a display in the court room.

An unintended, and potentially harmful, consequence of the 16-hour shift limit for first-year residents is an increase in self-reported medical errors, according to a study published online March 25 in JAMA Internal Medicine. In contrast to the patient safety issue, the requirement had nonsignificant impacts on hours slept, depressive symptoms and well-being scores.

Outpatient MRIs of the lumbar spine and of the head for headache are often targeted as indications where appropriateness should be more closely scrutinized, and an analysis of usage at two Canadian hospitals has shown that, in the case of lumbar spine MRI at least, this skepticism is warranted.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and David Vitter (R-La.) have introduced the Diagnostic Imaging Services Access Protection Act (S. 623). The Senate bill corresponds with H.R. 846, recently introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Pete Olson (R-Tex.), Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), John Barrow (D-Ga.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), and currently cosponsored by 72 bipartisan members of Congress.

Although all physicians face a higher than average risk of burnout, emergency physicians hold the dubious honor of topping the charts. Few remedies are available and more are needed, according to a contributed piece published in the March issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine.

Physician burnout is pervasive and prevalent, and few organizational interventions to address the high burnout rate have been developed, according to a study published in Archives of Internal Medicine. The authors pointed to mounting evidence that physician burnout takes a high toll on both physicians and the healthcare system.

Former University of Iowa radiologist Malik Juweid, MD, who was fired in August 2011, has filed a petition seeking to be reinstated, according to the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) have introduced the Supporting ColoRectal Examination and Education Now (SCREEN) Act (S. 608/H.R. 1320). The act would waive Medicare beneficiary cost-sharing for those colorectal cancer screenings where polyps are removed during colonoscopy.