In response to the increasingly ubiquitous role of medical information systems in healthcare, FujiFilm Medical Systems has created a Medical Informatics SolutionGlobal (MIS-G) division while also shaking up the highest level of its informatics executive team.

Over the last two decades, advances in digital image management have fueled tremendous workload and productivity increases among radiologists. However, the need to boost productivity is ongoing. A number of productivity powerhouses have tapped the power and potential of staff to raise the productivity bar. These sites provide financial incentives, engage staff in decision-making and collect and share data to maximize productivity.

The growth in imaging study volume has come under fire in recent years. The figures are staggering. Advanced imaging services spending by Medicare, including for CT, MRI and nuclear medicine, increased from $3.6 billion to $7.6 billion from 2000 through 2006, representing a 17 percent average increase annually. U.S. expenditures on medical imaging are approaching $100 billion.

According to Benjamin Franklin, the only certainties in life are death and taxes. I think its fairly safe to add change to the list, particularly for healthcare professionals. Medical imaging holds true to form with constant tweaks to the norm.

New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center in New York City has created a pharmacy featuring robotic equipment that sorts and dispenses medications.

New regulations issued today by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) require health insurers to spend 80 to 85 percent of consumers premiums on direct care for patients and efforts to improve care quality.

After two years of planning, construction has begun on an $18M fiber optic network to support the Rural Nebraska Healthcare Network, a consortium of nine rural hospitals and related clinics in western Nebraska. When complete, the 750-mile fiber network will span 12 counties.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center reported 100 percent successful communication of important, non-emergent radiology findings using an electronic messaging system, with 82 percent of findings communicated within 48 hours, according to a study published in the December issue of Radiology.