News From Around the Web
> A new technology called continuous bed motion may be able to improve PET/CT image quality and reduce scan times and radiation exposure for patients undergoing PET/CT scans, according to researchers at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. The technique is so promising, that the hospital has changed imaging protocols and will only can PET/CT patients with this new technique. Announcement
> Researchers from Harvard University and the University of Michigan have developed a way to image brain tumors in such a way that they can accurately determine where tumors end and healthy brain tissue begins, Popular Science reports. The technique is called stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy and works by analyzing the spectrum of light that emerges when the brain is hit by a non-invasive laser. By sensing the vibrations in chemical bonds it distinguishes healthy tissue from dense tumor tissue by showing the amount of lipids and proteins in cells--lipids appeared green, proteins blue and protein-rich tumors showed up bright blue. Article
> The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has scheduled a meeting for Sept. 9, to review the use of virtual colonoscopy for asymptomatic patients, AuntMinnie.com reports. The participants--members of the Gastroenterology-Urology Panel and the Radiological Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee--will also discuss the current evidence on the procedure's risks and benefits. Article
Health IT News
> United Healthcare is pairing with New York University's Langone Medical Center and the Cleveland Clinic to work on seamless exchange of patient data. The Automated Data Intake (ADI) program will "automatically extract data from [members of] United Healthcare (UHC) and seamlessly transfer the data to UHC, and translate data from disparate systems so that it can be compared." Article
Health Finance News
> The Office of Inspector General has been critical of Medicare oversight in previous reviews, and a recently published report is no different. Last week, OIG claimed that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may not be catching all overpaid claims and therefore allowing high amounts of improper payments to persist. Article
And Finally... Pickled in a load of peppers. Article