The American College of Radiology (ACR) has joined the ABIM Foundation and eight other medical specialty societies in the Choosing Wisely campaign. Choosing Wisely promotes wise choices by physicians and patients to improve health outcomes, avoid unnecessary interventions and make efficient use of healthcare dollars.

The FDA has allowed marketing of a handheld device intended to aid in the detection of intracranial hematomas using near-infrared spectroscopy. The device is expected to help determine if a CT study is needed in patients with critical head injuries.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has named Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City as a Center for Quantitative Imaging Excellence for its research in cancer screening, treatment and follow-up care, specifically with modalities such as mammography, PET, CT and MRI.

Source: Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterA method of classifying brain atrophy patterns in Alzheimer's disease patients using MRI can detect cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease, according to a study published online Nov. 21 in the neurology journal Brain.

As with every late November, this years Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) reinvigorated the imaging community. This year, in particular, molecular imaging took center stage, as a plethora of education sessions, scientific papers and keynote speakers focused on the benefits garnered from using nuclear medicine to detect disease, target therapy and monitor response in a personalized manner.

Reps. Brian Bilbray, R-Calif., and Anna G. Eshoo, D-Calif., introduced legislation to the U.S. House of Representatives to amend the Social Security Act to assist Medicaid providers in being paid in an appropriate timeframe.

A normative model based on the variation in volume growth rates of stable lung nodules may be used in the surveillance and monitoring of lung nodules and aid in the differentiation of benign and malignant lesions, according to a study published online Dec. 8 in Radiology.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide 34 states and one territory with funds from its Distance Learning and Telemedicine program for the purpose of improving access to healthcare and education, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced.