The use of Medicare-covered services is not equivalent to regional variation in Medicare spending and the two should not be confused, according to a report to Congress from the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC).

The FDA has approved an alternative standard to the Medical Outcomes Audit requirement, which will allow multiple mammography facilities to combine their medical outcomes audits if they meet certain criteria.

On-X LTI Technologies, a heart valve product provider, has entered into a license agreement with the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio to develop a system of surgical tools that will facilitate the replacement process of a severed mitral valve chordate.

IBM has earned a CAD $22.5 million (U.S. $21.3 million) project with the Government of Manitoba to create an EHR system using dbMotion.

Intelerad Medical Systems has landed a contract with Harvey, Ill.-based Radiology Imaging Consultants to deploy its InteleOne PACS.

By any measure, 2009 has been a rough year for medical imaging. The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that could change Medicare payments for advanced diagnostic imaging procedures, such as MRI, CT, PET and nuclear medicine, through an increase in the equipment utilization rate assumption from 50 percent to 75 percent.

Due to the incongruent makeup of imaging departments and centers, the myriad challenges that arise in attempting to ease workflow are being solved with a variety of tailor-made solutions.

With the annual report card on Americas fight against cancer just out, we see once again that survival rates are up. Imaging, screening, better treatments and declines in smoking are having an impact.