Organizations that perform health technology assessmentpolicy analysis that seeks to bridge medical research with clinical decision-making on a broad scaleare struggling to deal with cancers exceptionalism around the world. Thats according to a paper published April 9 in Health Affairs, Therapies For Advanced Cancers Pose A Special Challenge For Health Technology Assessment Organizations In Many Countries.

When should a device or drug be pulled from the market? These are questions that were asked and answered by Steven E. Nissen, MD, and Robert G. Hauser, MD, at this years ACC.12 during a session entitled, When Should Devices or Drugs Stop Being Used in Practice. This week, a recent study by Hauser, published in Heart Rhythm, drew fire from medical device firm St. Jude Medical. The controversy shows that this question is far from resolved.

An FDA Advisory Panel voted unanimously April 11 to recommended approval of a new breast cancer screening indication for the somov Automated Breast Ultrasound System (ABUS, U-Systems).

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) released a report April 11 calling for governments and policymakers to make dementia a global public health priority. The report provides an overview of the impact of dementia worldwide, in addition to global best practices and practical case studies.

Source: Radiology (doi: 10.1148/radiol.12112152)Full-field-of-view (FOV) images from lumbar spine CT exams will show many incidental findings; however, most will be benign and only a small number of extraspinal pathologic findings will have substantial clinical importance, according to a study published online March 21 in Radiology.

In the effort to control healthcare costs in the U.S., policymakers have made reduction of inappropriate imaging a goal in regions of high utilization. However, a cross-sectional study of prostate cancer patients has found that regions of low inappropriate imaging also had low rates of appropriate imaging, a correlation which could indicate that imprudent efforts to decrease unnecessary utilization may inadvertently cut appropriate imaging as well, according to a study published in the April 2012 issue of Health Affairs.

Fujifilm Medical Systems FDR D-EVO Cesium portable flat panel detector is now commercially available in the U.S.

Under the new Medicare Shared Savings Program, 27 accountable care organizations (ACOs) have entered into agreements with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), taking responsibility for the quality of care furnished to people with Medicare in return for the opportunity to share in savings realized through improved care.