Coronary CT angiography may be used to characterize diffuse myocardial fibrosis, with results comparable to those provided by cardiac MR, according to a study published online July 6 in Radiology.

Nehal N. Mehta, MD, has been named the inaugural Lasker Clinical Research Scholar and will oversee a new laboratory at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The Synapse MU 3.0 from Fujifilm Medical Systems has been certified a complete EHR and 2011/2012 compliant by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule on July 6 updating payment policies and rates under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for 2013. CMS projected significant reductions in MPFS payment rates under the sustainable growth rate methodology, and medical imaging faces severe cuts, particularly due to an expansion of the multiple procedure payment reduction (MPPR) policy.

In 2008, the state of Massachusetts passed a controversial bill requiring payments of more than $50 to physicians from industry to be reported. But on July 3, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick repealed part of the Massachusetts Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Gift Ban and Disclosure Law, which will now allow pharmaceutical or device companies to pay for modest meals and refreshments.

More than 60 percent of providers responding to an American College of Physician Executives survey indicated support for the recent Supreme Court ruling to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Using an EMR to review portal images during daily radiation treatments dramatically improves compliance with timeliness and record keeping, which, in turn, improves patient care and safety, according to a study in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Accelerated breast radiotherapy may provide a viable treatment option for women diagnosed with DCIS, according to a study published in the July issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology. Although the strategy has proven effective among women with invasive breast cancer, the approach had not been verified among women with DCIS.