A staple of radiology for decades, ultrasound systems continue to advance technically and ergonomically, presenting physicians with an often onerous, but clinically worthwhile, selection of new scanners, according to the authors of an article published in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

SAN ANTONIOAfter an intensive two-day forum to better define the evolving role of clinical and biomedical engineering, industry leaders came to the conclusion that healthcare technology management is the new name for the profession, which was explained in a presentation at the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) conference & expo on June 26.

Acknowledging the need for greater transparency and coordination with manufacturers, the FDA stands by its stringent and notoriously slower 510(k) medical device approval process relative to other countries. Yet manufacturers complain that the agencys unpredictable procedures, not its speed, are the key reason for industrys growing introduction of products outside the U.S. market.

A year after its introduction and on the heels of the launch of the iPad 2, the worlds most celebrated gadget continues its hot streak. Physicians certainly arent immune to its appeal. Nearly one-quarter of American physicians bought an iPad in 2010, according to Chilmark Research. Others are jumping on the bandwagon. Four out of five physicians surveyed recently by Aptilon plan to buy an iPad this year.

In a March 3 article published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, Jonathan Breslau, MD, a radiologist at Radiological Associates of Sacramento Medical Group in Calif., argues that much is at stake for radiology in this changing system, and unless radiologists increase their involvement, much also may be at risk.

Verizon Wireless and Medco Health Solutions have released a mobile application that can guide patients and their doctors to the lower cost prescription drugs and help them identify potentially harmful drug interactions.

Philips Healthcare has landed a series of CT and radiation oncology planning system installs at the Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle.

Evidence showing the effectiveness of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) relative to other radiotherapy techniques is sorely lacking, with no comparative effectiveness trials published on SBRT and the majority of trials investigating thoracic tumors, leaving a paucity of data on treatment of all other tumors, according to a literature review published May 2 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.