In a widely circulated CNN article, many radiologists have been found to cheat on their board exams: "Doctors around the country taking an exam to become board certified in radiology have cheated by memorizing test questions, creating sophisticated banks of what are known as 'recalls,' ... The recall exams are meticulously compiled by radiology residents, who write down the ...
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It is a scenario familiar to all breast imaging practices.
A patient feels a lump in her breast and calls her doctor. The doctor examines her, agrees that a lump is present, and refers the patient to a breast imaging facility for a diagnostic mammogram and breast ultrasound (also known as a sonogram). At her mammogram appointment, a little sticker is placed on the lump felt by the patient, and mammogram ...
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What is your personal experience with MRIs? Was your last one fun? How much did it cost whoever paid for it? Did it make a real difference in your outcome?
I am a 78-year-old American man in robust general health and with good comprehensive health insurance all my adult life and I have never had an MRI.
Until 2010, I had also never had a CT scan. And I'm proud of that.
Why ...
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Thankfully, there have been more news stories recently illustrating the overuse of tests.
Specifically with cancer screening, the PSA test and mammograms have come under increasing scrutiny.
I think this type of media attention is long overdue, as the public needs to be aware of the potential downsides of diagnostic tests.
Now comes the MRI.
A recent piece in the
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Radiology is the cornerstone of any hospital. An efficient, high-quality, well-run radiology department increases patient satisfaction as a result of its ability to improve patient care. Over time, a well-run radiology department adds significant patient volumes to the hospital, which, of course, favorably enhances the hospital's bottom line. Regardless of whether the hospital is not-for-profit or for-profit, a smooth-sailing radiology department vastly increases the profitability of the hospital. The ...
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With all the debate about cost control, it’s clear that we doctors will have to police ourselves – or else politicians and insurance companies will exert even more influence over our practices than they already do. The main question is:
Are we willing to let our physician colleagues exert influence on our care decisions?
Taking a case from my field: at a conference this past week I met a radiology resident ...
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By now you’ve probably seen the internet jokes that compare the mammogram experience to having your breast squashed in a refrigerator door. A few years back, I joined the club of women who have our annual mammograms, and I can’t say that I disagree with the imagery of the jokes. However, the benefits of early detection far outweigh the discomfort, so I’m willing to put up with it.
I’d like to ...
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Dr. Eric Appelt was born to be a superstar. During his career, he has redefined what it means to be committed to medicine, and he embodies the practice of perseverance on a daily basis. I am proud to say that he is one of my role models as I continue my medical education.
As a young man growing up in Brenham, TX, Appelt was the kind of son every parent ...
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Although the medical profession has been harming unlucky patients for centuries, the patient safety movement didn’t take flight until 1999, when the Institute of Medicine published its seminal report, To Err is Human. And that report would have ended up as just another doorstop if not for its estimate that 44,000-98,000 Americans each year die from medical mistakes, the equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing each day.
Come ...
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Federal law generally prohibits physicians from referring their own patients to a diagnostic facility in which they have an ownership issue - a practice called "self-referral" - unless the facility is located in their own practice.
This exemption exists to allow patients with access to a laboratory test, x-ray, or other imaging test at the same time and place as when patients are seeing their physician for an office visit. Less ...
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"A comprehensive and extremely useful roadmap for doctors."
-Eric Topol, MD, author of The Creative Destruction of Medicine
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Past 6 Months
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