The pre-show buzz for the 96th annual scientific meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) amounted to a near crescendo. And the worlds largest medical meeting certainly didnt disappoint; RSNA 2010 will be remembered for a long list of highlights.

Radiology practices across the U.S. face mounting pressure to improve quality and performance. However, tackling such intangibles presents a bit of a mystery. Key performance indicators (KPIs) provide a means to measure quality and offer a methodical recipe for quantifying and improving performance.

Voice recognition software demands training, consistency and likely some frustration, but it pays by way of decreased costs, shorter report turnaround time and greater productivity, according to a presentation at the 96th annual scientific meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) on Nov. 28 in Chicago.

The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act "is only the beginning" of the healthcare reform process, with dramatic but uncertain changes to the structure of healthcare delivery impending, according to a presentation Dec. 1 at the annual scientific meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Bedford Hospital NHS Trust has installed Siemens Healthcare's ceiling-mounted Artis zee imaging system for use in angioplasty and interventional procedures.

When deciding which technologies would best suit your hospital and patients, analyzing quality metrics is helpful, but radiology is often left out of the national coverage equation, James V. Rawson, MD, chairman of radiology at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, said during a presentation Nov. 30 at the 96th annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

The U.S. spends more on healthcare than any of the other 34 countries that comprise the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development, but has seen comparatively little improvement in outcomes. Moving toward an accountable care organization (ACO) model may be the answer to improving patient care in the U.S., said Gifford Boyce-Smith, MD, general internist and senior vice president and chief medical officer of Medicity, during a webinar Dec. 15.

Medical professionals representing 46 health societies met in November in Orlando, Fla. to develop quality and safety guidelines for point-of-care ultrasound applications, at the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine's (AIUM) Ultrasound Practice Forum: Point-of-Care Use of Ultrasound.