The use of high-cost CT and MRI imaging in patients admitted for acute pancreatitis increased 2.5-fold yet was associated with no improvement to patient outcomes, according to a study published in the November edition of Radiology.

VHA, a network of U.S. nonprofit healthcare organizations, has selected RadarFind to provide its radiofrequency identification (RFID) technology to its 1,400 member hospitals to track equipment, patients and staff.

The volume of head CT angiography (CTA) in Medicare beneficiaries spiked by more than 800 percent between 2002 and 2007, while neck CTA grew by nearly 1,100 percent, according to a study published in the November edition of the Journal of the American College or Radiology.

The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) has adopted recommendations for new practices targeting the reduction or elimination of tensions that mar relationships between health IT vendors and their customers, specifically with regard to indemnity and error management of health IT systems.

A trial in Kenya has shown that text messages can help patients adhere to their treatment, and improved absolute adherence rates by 12 percent and viral load suppression by 9 percent.

Self-employed urologists are nearly twice as likely as their employed colleagues to order imaging, according to an analysis published in the December issue of the Journal of Urology.

The Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement, a nonprofit organization consisting of 60 medical groups and six sponsoring health plans across Minnesota and Wisconsin, has chosen Nuance Communications for its e-Ordering technology, RadPort.

Implementation of a computer-automated safety surveillance system of a clinical outcomes registry for cardiovascular devices in Massachusetts resulted in the identification of a drug-eluting stent (DES) that had significantly higher rates of major adverse cardiac events than similar stents, according to a study in the Nov. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.