RSNA 2010: Top 10 Most Read Stories
 | |
| Lisa Fratt, Editor |
Condensing RSNA 2010 to a top 10 list represented a mighty challenge. Our readers lent an able hand for this list, clicking their way to identify hot items for the 96th annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
It’s no surprise that two CT dose stories found their way onto our list. CT dose echoed throughout McCormick Place last week, as audience members queried panelists about dose implications in nearly every educational session.
Our video interview with Eliot L. Siegel, MD, professor and vice chair of imaging informatics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, in which he discussed the value (and pitfalls) of adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction algorithms for dose management, topped our most-watched videos.
Dec. 1 brought a bit of relief. First, Pat A. Basu, MD, faculty radiologist at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., and White House Fellow, shared results of a study that suggested the oft-cited risks of radiation-induced cancers may be lower than previously estimated, with cancer incidences related to ionizing radiation from CT estimated at 0.02 percent and 0.04 percent in two cohorts.
And an RSNA first, an educational session in a debate format, wrapped with both sides agreeing that CT scans should be limited to justified and optimized studies. However, a post-debate straw poll of the audience revealed an even split on the question of whether to consider cancer risk in ordering CT studies.
Another hot topic is meaningful use, with the RSNA informatics committee pulling out all stops to let radiologists know that many of them do qualify for up to $44,000 in incentives. That’s the good news. The flip side is that requirements related to radiology are hazy. Radiologists will likely have to cobble together multiple certified solutions to demonstrate meaningful use. And as of last week, no existing radiology system had received certification.
The darling gadget of 2010--the Apple iPad--put in a good show at RSNA 2010, holding its space in the limelight among meaningful use and CT dose management. The tablet could be a game changer, providing clinicians a handy platform for nondiagnostic image review and also boosting radiologists’ mobility and efficiency. Good things do come in small packages.
Macro trends also peppered the list. While RSNA President Hedvig Hricak, MD, PhD, and chair of radiology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, pointed to unparalleled opportunities for imaging, Elias A. Zerhouni, MD, former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), painted a bleak picture with political and economic woes spilling into the healthcare space. Read both for a robust look at the issues.
I hope you enjoyed the show and that our coverage resonates with your needs. Please drop me a line if we’ve missed any of your top stories.
Lisa Fratt
Editor of Health Imaging & IT