News From Around the Web
> Analysis of patient data can predict the future of metabolic syndrome, according to research published in the American Journal of Managed Care. The condition can lead to heart disease, stroke and diabetes. The models predicted the risk on a population and individual level, and researchers were able to develop risk profiles for individuals using the data. Announcement
> How are messages from regulators--for example, warnings against using a drug in a specific patient population--diffused digitally? And are the messages still accurate when they reach the general population? A perspective article published in The New England Journal of Medicine seeks to answer these questions. Article
> Telemedicine is being used to screen for retinopathy of prematurity, a potentially blinding disease in premature infants, according to a study by the National Eye Institute. In the study, photos of babies' eyes were sent electronically to an image reading center for evaluation, where staff could identify whether infants should be referred to an ophthalmologist for evaluation and potential treatment. Announcement
Provider News
> President Barack Obama will tap Bob McDonald, retired chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Procter & Gamble, as the new secretary of Veterans Affairs to fix the troubled system. Article
Medical Imaging News
> Radiologists must demonstrate their "significance" when it comes to providing services, or risk losing their "turf," according to Lawrence Muroff, M.D., CEO and president of Tampa, Florida-based Imaging Consultants Inc. Article
And Finally... From mall rats to mall cats? Article