In the News
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02.28.11
Expectations Don’t Flummox X-ray Interpretation
The expectation to find cancers in X-rays doesn’t affect accuracy of expert radiologists, although it does influence how much time is spent staring at the image, according to a new study.
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02.25.11
Medical Device Approval Plagued by Unhealthy Delays
Europeans have long extolled centralized planning and tolerated large government bureaucracies. But when it comes to approving medical devices, Europe has taken a decidedly decentralized approach — to the great benefit of patients and health care workers. It is an example the United States would do well to follow.
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02.22.11
House Probes Why Medical Devices Take Longer to Hit U.S. Market
The medical device industry’ s increased juice in Washington is starting to power the Beltway agenda, as Republican House leaders take note of differences between European regulatory bodies and those in the U.S. Can Congressional hearings be far behind?
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02.14.11
CAD Helps Expert Radiologists Detect Difficult Polyps on VC
Computer-aided detection (CAD) software can boost the performance of even expert radiologists in finding challenging polyps on virtual colonoscopy studies, say researchers from the University of Chicago. A research team led by Kenji Suzuki, PhD, found that the use of CAD software as a second reader delivered a statistically significant improvement in the sensitivity of three expert radiologists and one adequately trained radiologist in detecting difficult polyps on VC (also known as CT colonography or CTC).
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02.11.11
FDA Approves 3-D Mammography System
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the first three-dimensional mammography system developed by Hologic Inc. to screen for breast cancer, with hopes the device will prove better than current mammography technology. The device, formally known as the Silenia Dimensions System, augments traditional two-dimensional images produced by a mammogram with a three-dimensional image to be used in breast-cancer screening and diagnosis. The system would provide both types of images during a scan so doctors could compare images with previous ones from conventional mammograms.
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02.11.11
The Imaging Product Lifecycle: Why Does it Take So Long?
You may wonder why it takes so long to get new imaging technologies into the radiology suite. The authors of an article in the February issue of Journal of American College of Radiology lay it out: Escalating U.S. government requirements mean that imaging advances take even longer to push through than in the past. This is thanks to increasing regulation, plus reimbursement and adoption issues. Also, compared to the earlier introductions of radiology staples (X-ray, CT, MRI, and ultrasound), innovations now are more incremental in scope. Developers have to prove why the updates are better than those currently approved and used.
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02.9.11
Analysis Shows Quantity of Advanced Imaging Services Declines for First Time in 11 Years
Washington, D.C. – The volume of advanced imaging services delivered to Medicare beneficiaries decreased in 2009 for the first time in 11 years, according to a new analysis by The Moran Company. The study, released today by the Access to Medical Imaging Coalition (AMIC), a coalition of physician, patient and imaging manufacturer groups, found that while the volume of advanced imaging services decreased by .1 percent, the amount of overall imaging services declined by 7.1 percent.
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02.8.11
FDA Aims to Accelerate Medical Device Reviews
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials have proposed a plan that would speed up the approval of innovative medical devices that hold the potential to dramatically improve patients’ lives.
The so-called Innovation Pathway from the Food and Drug Administration would aim to review first-of-a-kind devices in five months, which is half the time currently spent reviewing most new devices. The initiative comes amid complaints from medical device manufacturers that FDA review times lag behind other regulators abroad.
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02.4.11
Breast, Cervical, Colon Cancer Screenings Explained
Adhering to cancer screening recommendations can save lives and empower women to take control of their health. But different options and recommendations have left some patients confused at best; at worst, they are so frustrated that they dismiss their screenings all together.
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02.4.11
Many Say ‘Too Busy’ To Get a Mammogram
The major reason women age 60 and under who have health insurance gave for not getting a mammogram was “being too busy,” U.S. researchers say. Researchers at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore., report about one-quarter say the reason for not completing mammograms was “too much pain.” Obese women were nearly twice as likely as non-obese women to report pain as a deterrent.
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