Accessible information is the bedrock of meaningful use, and solid documentation across clinical departments takes a team effort that involves nursing leaders and nursing information systems as well as the CMIO and IT leadership. The rewards are becoming more evident, but revamping processes will require all stakeholders.

In the good old days, image management was an insiders club largely comprised of radiologists and PACS administrators well-versed in the nuances of DICOM, modality worklists and imaging informatics. Today, however, image management is hurdling toward an enterprise model characterized by broader, looser boundaries. So, whats the motto? A multi-ology archive for all.

Image interpretation is best left to radiologists, who should consider itemized reporting and standardized language to produce clear and unequivocal reports, according to the COVER and ROVER survey results, published in the April edition of Radiology.

New techniques aimed at reducing radiation exposure and curbing duplicate tests are coming online, and the movement to measure cumulative medical radiation exposure in EHRs is gaining steam. Clinical decision support systems might seem like the logical place for dose/image conscientiousness to take root. That might stand to reason, but it isnt always the case, according to a study in the April edition of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Endo Pharmaceuticals and American Medical Systems announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement. 

Medical device companies saw growth in 2010 despite a slow economy and pressure on pricing, and that growth should continue for the next few years, according to Kalorama Information.

On Thursday, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) voted 15 to 1 to recommend that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services require prior authorization before some physicians could order imaging studies.

Carestream Health has made available a PACS module that delivers embedded critical results notification.