News From Around the Web
> Americans are willing to undergo diagnostic radiology exams--and absorb the extra costs that may go along with them--in order to avoid invasive medical procedures and reduce overall health costs, according to a study published in Value in Health. Researchers, Diagnostic Imaging reports, found that higher income and education, disease severity, perceived disease risk, family history and more accurate tests all were factors associated with a willingness to pay more for radiology tests. Article
> A new study of 1,100 patients has found that those who had cancer spotted by colonoscopy tend to have them spotted at an earlier stage and have better survival rates than those patients whose cancers were detected by methods other than colonoscopy, according to HealthDay News. The findings, reported online June 19 in the journal JAMA Surgery, showed that patients whose cancers had not been found by colonoscopy were twice as likely to have an invasive tumor compared to those whose cancer was found through colonoscopy, and more than three times as likely to have a metastatic tumor that had spread to other parts of the body. Article
> A study published in the journal Radiology has found that MRI measurements of plaque in the abdominal aorta and the thickness of its wall are associated with future cardiovascular events, such as stroke or heart attack. "This is an important study, because it demonstrates that atherosclerosis in an artery outside the heart is an independent predictor of adverse cardiovascular events," lead author Christopher D. Maroules, a radiology resident at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, said in an announcement. "MRI is a promising tool for quantifying atherosclerosis through plaque and arterial wall thickness measurements." Announcement
Health Finance News
> Medical practice executives are deeply worried about the anticipated cost, loss of productivity and clinical documentation changes for ICD-10 conversion, finds a new study from the Medical Group Management Association. Article
Provider News
> "Physicians are working harder and longer hours for less reimbursement," said Richard L. Jackson, chairman and CEO of Jackson Healthcare, in a statement announcing the release of the staffing firm's latest report. According to the survey of 3,456 self-selected respondents, 42 percent of practicing physicians are dissatisfied in their job. Among the discontent, some are considering early retirement or a career change out of medicine. Article
And Finally... Is the weather too nice in Alaska? Article