Viewpoint: The Rise of Remote Radiology

By Meghan Howard
Americans spent more than $2 trillion on healthcare last year, but hospitals still can’t afford to keep many specialized physicians on staff full time. This is especially true for one of the most skilled and in-demand positions – the radiologist.

This skilled group of physicians plays a significant role in the interpretation and diagnosis of injuries and abnormalities, and if you’ve ever had to “wait” for the results of a test, you understand how excruciating the delay can be.

One obvious answer is teleradiology. Teleradiology, as well as all telemedicine initiatives, has been met with great enthusiasm and is considered the enabler for overcoming distance barriers and access to physicians. However, studies have shown that full and effective use of telemedicine applications has been slow to adopt. Only now is teleradiology moving at such a rate that it is vital for radiologists to have a broad understanding of the professional, clinical, ethical and legal implications of this progression.

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IT Based Training Course About Radiation And Nuclear Exposure

In the event of a radiation or nuclear attack by terrorists, it will be essential to provide the public with accurate information on risks and how to minimize health effects. Working with a team of the nation's top radiation biologists, a scientist at Wake Forest University School of Medicine is developing an Internet-based training course to help radiation experts meet this challenge. The course, which will also be available on CD, will provide critical information that professionals in radiological sciences need to act as trainers and spokespersons during a radiologic or nuclear incident.

"The vast majority of general practitioners, emergency responders, and even many radiologists, have little understanding of the health consequences of a radiological or nuclear event," said lead researcher Michael Robbins, Ph.D., a professor and the section head of radiation biology in the department of radiation oncology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. "Given the recent events in the geopolitical climate, it now appears increasingly likely that a terrorist-generated radiological or nuclear event could occur within the US. Efforts need to be made to provide the public, and more specifically key professionals, with accurate information about the health consequences of such an event."

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Additional mammogram readers improve breast cancer detection

Mammogram readings by both radiologists and non-physician technologists improve breast cancer detection rates, according to a study in the July 24 Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Studies have shown that breast cancer detection may increase when mammograms are reviewed by both a radiologist and a mammographic technologist. In The Netherlands, a breast cancer screening program was implemented in the 1990s that required all mammograms be read by two radiologists. Mammographic technologists were also trained to look for abnormalities.

Lucien Duijm, M.D., Ph.D., of Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, and colleagues examined whether adding readings by two technologists to the standard examination by two radiologists would improve cancer detection rates and the accuracy of the readings.

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Heart X-ray raises cancer risk for young, women

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A special type of X-ray used to diagnose heart disease may cause cancer in women and young adults and should be used with caution, U.S. doctors reported on Tuesday.

The procedure, called a computed tomography (CT) coronary angiography, is meant to reduce complications because it can see inside the heart and its arteries without invading the body.

But it gives a high dose of radiation, enough to cause cancer in vulnerable people, the researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association. They said women and young men are especially at risk.

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MRI Plus X-Ray Mammography Doubles Breast Cancer Detection In Women At High Risk

For women at high risk of breast cancer, use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plus X-ray mammography for screening will detect more breast cancers than mammography alone, a new technology assessment has found. But the number of false positives -- indicating a problem where none exists -- will rise significantly also.

MRI is an imaging procedure that uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to make images of organs and structures inside the body. The report aimed to determine whether the combination of MRI and mammography was more accurate than mammography alone in finding breast cancer.

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