Health Imaging & IT - October 2007 - (Page 20) cover story by Lisa Frat t H 20 ealth imaging operations have become increasingly difficult in recent years. 2007 in particular has been a milestone with the reimbursement reductions from the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) hitting imaging facilities and departments hard. (And further cuts to Medicare, proposed in current legislation, may not be too far behind.) Besides declining reimbursement, external factors such as greater competition and changing regulations are putting additional pressure on already constrained operations in hospitals and freestanding imaging centers of all sizes, according to the findings of our annual Top Trends survey in which 483 imaging and IT professionals offered their viewpoint. Many respondents tell us they plan to increase procedure volumes to improve the bottom line, but adding procedures carries its own set of challenges. Increasing procedure volumes and skyrocketing slice counts associated with state-of-the-art solutions such as 64-slice and dual source CT and digital mammography force radiologists, IT staffers and techs to cope with more data, more patients and more work. O C T O B E R 2 0 07 | Health Imaging & IT Consequently, improving workflow poses a challenge for all imaging providers. Overall, this year’s trends show that facilities are buying new technologies such as 64-slice CT and increasing procedure volume and bettering workflow, but hiring fewer FTEs. Imaging, clinical and health IT technologies continue to provide a holy grail for radiology departments, imaging centers and hospitals of all sizes. Survey respondents tell us they are looking to invest in digital acquisition solutions such as digital mammography and CT, especially 64-slice systems; MRI and PET/CT are next on the priority list. The systems offer a way to differentiate a facility or group from its competition and provide high-quality diagnostic imaging. Other priorities include electronic medical records (EMRs), computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and voice recognition. Each promises to bring about essential workflow improvements and patient care enhancements. Read on to learn about the macro and micro details of this year’s Top Trends in Health Imaging & IT survey. You’ll also find some extra charts by clicking on this story online at www.healthimaging.com. HealthImaging.com http://HealthImaging.com http://HealthImaging.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.