Contrary to recent media reports, the use of lead shielding during routine breast exams provides virtually no benefit in the prevention of thyroid cancer and may diminish the effectiveness of mammography.

The FDA has approved Hitachi's Scenaria 64-slice CT.

Significant elevations in blood levels of amyloid beta 42 peptide, were detected by Single Molecule Array (SiMoA) technology in patients who experienced hypoxia following cardiac arrest, according to results presented this week at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting held in Honolulu.

As physicians and policymakers gear up for healthcare reform and the elusive goal of improved outcomes at lower costs, providers and payors are increasingly looking to comparative effectiveness research to guide clinical practice and reimbursements, evidenced by a solid investment on the part of the government, argued the authors of a perspective article in the New England Journal of Medicine.

CMIO.net presents a weekly update of the EHR products certified by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ONC-ATCBs). The following EHR certifications were announced recently:

MIM Softwares MIM Symphony is available as a brachytherapy treatment planning system for permanent seed implants.

St. Jude Medicals ShockGuard technology, used with its Unify cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds) and Fortify ICDs to reduce inappropriate shocks, has gained a CE mark from the European Union and has been approved by the FDA.

While the majority of our coverage last week from the annual American College of Cardiology (ACC) scientific sessions focused on late-breaking clinical research including PARTNER, RIVAL and STICH trials, this week, our coverage from the windy city centers on practice management at the annual leadership conference of the American College of Cardiovascular Administrators (ACCA).