Much of the recent advanced visualization news comes from the 2012 annual meeting of the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM). The biggest development by far is the new learning track debuted by SIIM: Quantitative Imaging.

MIAMIGE Healthcare unveiled a new mid-tier SPECT/CT scanner, the Optima NM/CT 640, at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) annual meeting.

A study of six large integrated healthcare systems has shown a substantial increase in the use of advanced diagnostic imaging since the mid-1990s, not just among the fee-for-service insured populations but even in HMOs, according to research published June 12 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The market for healthcare-related software apps for use in mobile devices has grown and will continue to grow quickly, according to market researcher Kalorama Information, which reported that the market for mobile medical apps was worth about $150 million in 2011.

Catholic Health Initiatives, a large Catholic healthcare system, has chosen Orion Health HIE to enable physicians and clinicians to access and exchange patient information, coordinate patient care and update patient records throughout its 100 facilities in 19 different states.

Fluke Biomedical has released the newest addition to its ProSim family of patient monitor quality assurance testing tools, the Spot Light SpO2 functional tester.

Insight Imaging, based in Lake Forest, Calif., and Center for Diagnostic Imaging, based in Minneapolis, two of the largest imaging providers in the U.S., are planning to merge. Financial terms of the merger were not disclosed.

CHICAGOSetting up a telemonitoring program for the 1,900 device patients cared for at the Heart Center of the Rockies in Fort Collins, Colo., was no easy feat for Lisa Diederich, RN, a certified cardiac device specialist, and company. However, it transformed patient care while improving the bottom line, said Diederich in a presentation June 7 at MedAxioms Cardiovascular Service Line Symposium.