News From Around the Web
> The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved F-18 florbetaben, also known as Neuraceq, as a diagnostic amyloid PET imaging agent to help rule out Alzheimer's disease, Molecular Imaging reported. It's the third amyloid imaging agent to receive FDA approval, following F-18 florbetapir (Amyvid) and F-18 flutemetamol (Vizamyl). Article
> Low-Dose CT could be used at international borders to identify smugglers attempting to bring drugs across borders by hiding them in body orifices, according to research presented at the European Congress of Radiology 2014, Medscape Medical News reported. According to Steve Gwyther, M.D., a radiologist at Spire Gatwick Park Hospital in Surrey, U.K., drugs like liquid cocaine or heroin are hard to detect with plain abdominal X-rays, but can easily be detected with CT at a low radiation dose. Article
> According to a study in Academic Radiology, application materials from radiology residency graduates at Duke and Stanford universities showed there was a positive relationship between radiologists who pursued an academic career and those who attended elite undergraduate schools; published peer-reviewed manuscripts while undergraduates; received an advanced degree; pursued a dedicated year of research in medical school; and published a peer-reviewed manuscript in medical school. Consequently, the researchers recommend that radiology residency selection committees should consider these factors if they want to recruit future academic radiologists. Abstract
Health IT News
> The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services wants to recover improper payments made through its Physician Quality Reporting System and the Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program, according to a notice published in the Federal Register. It cites problems with data integrity, such as rejected and improper payments, and plans a four-year project to comb back through its records and also will look for recommendations for avoiding such issues in the future. Article
Health Finance News
> Should the government impose financial penalties on recovery audit contractors if a clawback they performed against a hospital is overturned on appeal? That's a proposal being put forth by the most senior member of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee. Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) made the suggestion to U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to reduce the mounting backlog of RAC-related appeals at the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, which also handles the appeals of individual Medicare beneficiaries. Article
And Finally... Something you should never ask a bank teller to do. Article