The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is inviting comment as it develops a draft recommendation for assessing cardiovascular disease (CVD) via coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring or the ankle-brachial index. The task force is considering the following questions: What is the effectiveness or comparative effectiveness of enhanced cardiovascular disease risk assessment with coronary artery calcium scoring or the ankle-brachial index on cardiovascular health outcomes? What is the effectiveness or comparative effectiveness of enhanced cardiovascular disease risk assessment with corona ..read more

Fujifilm Healthcare Americas has launched its OPIE Transducer, an on-pump intracardiac echocardiography transducer for aiding septal myectomy procedures. OPIE is a possible alternative to using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to view septal thickness before septal myectomy. With OPIE, a thin transducer is passed into the heart; images of the patient’s septal thickness can be seen in real-time, according to Fujifilm. The company also noted a study featuring the OPIE Transducer that highlights how the system provides established imaging to aid in septal myectomy procedures compared with T ..read more

Research into the prevalence of nonphysician practitioners (NPPs) in primary care shows a troubling trend in Medicare reimbursement that could threaten access to physicians, a new study from the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute revealed. Physician reimbursement per Medicare patient decreased by 2.3% between 2005 and 2021, despite a concurrent increase of 45.5% in physician services to each patient, reported Eric Christensen, PhD, and colleagues for the journal INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing. The authors highlighted that volume increases, infl ..read more

Understanding the mechanics of flow artifacts on CT or CT angiography (CTA) and how these artifacts are created is key to better disease diagnosis, according to a review published April 25 in RadioGraphics. In the review, a team led by Caroline Robb, MD, of Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, described flow artifacts and how they are different from several types of conditions. "At first glance, flow artifacts may appear as a simple distractor to the discerning eye of a radiologist," Robb and colleagues noted. "However, there are many instances when iden ..read more

France-based Median Technologies recently posted financial results for the first quarter of the 2024 fiscal year, which ended March 31. The company reported that revenue for the quarter was 5.4 million euros ($5.8 million), comparable to the same quarter in 2023. Median's revenue is achieved entirely by the iCRO1 business, which delivers services to the global biopharmaceutical industry for image management in oncology clinical trials. Median said that first-quarter revenues were affected by the postponement of some studies to the second quarter of 2024 due to late patient recruitment. Additio ..read more

Healthcare Administrative Partners (HAP) is adding Atlantic Radiology New Hampshire in Portsmouth, NH, to its roster of radiology revenue cycle and practice management clients. Under the terms of the agreement, HAP will perform all core revenue cycle services on behalf of Atlantic Radiology New Hampshire. This includes billing, coding, carrier credentialing, business intelligence, and MIPS Measure Assurance Services. HAP will also provide the group with comprehensive practice management services. HAP’s Operations Center of Excellence is located in Portsmouth, NH. The c ..read more

Pieter KroesePR Newswire ScreenPoint Medical CEO Mark Koeniguer is stepping down from his position after two years at the helm. The company's board of directors has appointed Pieter Kroese as the new CEO, effective April 25. Kroese has been serving as Chief Operating Officer (COO) over the past five years, managing the company's growth in that span. While no reason was given for Koeniguer stepping down, ScreenPoint stated that it "extends its gratitude" to him and wishes him "every success in the future" while welcoming Kroese into his new role ..read more

There are limited studies that examine breast cancer screening trends in transgender people, according to a report published April 23 in the Journal of the American College of Radiology. A team led by Millie Chokshi from the University of Miami in Florida found that while studies that do include transgender participants have mixed results, these participants had lower rates of breast cancer screening than cisgender participants. “More research is needed regarding breast cancer screening of transgender and gender-diverse people to inform the development of protocols that ensure equitable a ..read more

Court hearings have begun in the case of a California radiologist who drove his family off a cliff in 2023, according to an article published by SFist. Attorneys for Dharmesh Patel, MD, who drove his family off a Northern California cliff in a Tesla in January 2023, are seeking a mental health diversion to avoid prison time and instead seek psychological treatment. The four passengers of the vehicle, which included the parents and two children, survived the 250-ft fall. A psychologist testified that in jailhouse interviews with Patel, he deemed that Patel had depressive disorder with psychotic ..read more

Accuray will showcase its radiation therapy technologies at the upcoming European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) annual meeting being held May 3 to 7 in Glasgow, Scotland. The company plans to highlight its Radixact System with a built-in CT scanner, CyberComm, and Cenos technologies. Additionally, the company will host a symposium and webinar at the conference ..read more