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Archive for December, 2010

Demand for Radiologists

Radiologists are currently at a crossroads. On the one hand demand is increasing while at the same time reimbursements are being cut. The new Obama health care policy should increase the total number of patients for all specialties, but will it also make further cuts in reimbursement rates to pay for extending these services?

While the current health care policy should raise enrollment rates, this push for demand for services should also raise costs. One way the government hopes to control possible cost increases will be to Medicare cut reimbursement rates. As all insurance payments to physicians are based on Medicare rates any cuts by them will ripple though the industry. This has already been happening to some extent the last few years for Radiologists.

Another way costs may improve is new technologies may be developed that will help Radiologists work in a more efficient, cost effective manner. One thing is certain and that is the aging population will cause the long-term demand for the services of radiologists to increase in the future.

Radiology can be surmised as the research and implementation of imaging technology, such as x-ray devices and radiation in diagnostic and applicable uses to treat an array of maladies. Ultrasounds, nuclear medicine, PETs (positron emission tomography), MRIs (Magnetic resonance imaging), and computed tomography are a few of the technologies used.

Definitions of aforesaid technologies:

Projection Radiology: Projectional radiography or plain film radiography is the method of making 2-D images with x-ray radiation.

Fluoroscopy: Fluoroscopy is an imaging method commonly used by physicians to get actual-time moving images of the interior structure of a patient with the use of a fluoroscope.

Computer Tomography (C T)/ Computer Axiated Tomography (CAT): CT or CAT scans are special x-ray tests that produce cross-sectional images of the body using x-rays and a computer.

Ultrasound: Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. The most well known application of ultrasound is its use in sonography to produce pictures of fetuses in the human womb.

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI), is primarily a medical imaging technique most commonly used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structure and limited function of the body. It is especially helpful when used to monitor and diagnose neurological disorders.

Nuclear Medicine: In nuclear medicine imaging, radiopharmaceuticals are taken internally, for example intravenously or orally. Then, external detectors (gamma cameras) capture and form images from the radiation emitted by the radiopharmaceuticals.

One practice used in the field of radiology is Teleradiology. Teleradiology is where the results of various methods listed above are sent to a radiologist at a different location, usually during that radiologists office hours. It is advantageously effective when applied to rural or underserved clinics and hospitals, where a radiologist might not be available at the time or at all, and nights and weekends.

Radiology currently is a very competitive medical specialty. A radiologist goes through a minimum of thirteen years of post-secondary education. The breakdown of that amount of time is as follows. Four years are spent obtaining a bachelors degree, usually in pre-medicine or biology. After that, the student must complete either of two medical degrees: Doctorate of Osteopathy (D. O.) or Doctorate of Allopathic Medicine (M. D.) medicine. There aren’t many practical differences between these two certifications besides varying intensities of focus areas, but nonetheless they are regarded as equivalent certifications. This training takes approximately four years. After an M. D. or D. O. is received, an Internal Medicine or Surgery specialization may be beneficial, and required by some schools, which could add 3-7 years, depending on the pre-specialty. The radiology specialization itself takes roughly 5 years to complete. Cumulatively, a radiologist could be in post-secondary school for up to 20 years.

Radiology & How Its Changing

Radiology was once one of the most sought after and competitively salaried specialties in the medical field. Today however, due to health care reform, population ages shifting, and employment market saturations and deficits, radiologists are on unsteady ground. The worst case scenario is that Radiology demand will stay high and steady, but salaries will fall. This seems to be what’s happening now, but the circumstances surrounding it are too volatile to make any definitive predictions.

Teleradiology is a field of telemedicine. It electronically transfers a patient’s radiological images from one location to another for the purposes of interpretation and/or consultation from radiologists sitting at a distant location.

Teleradiology is increasingly used by hospitals and institutions to gain accessibility of specialists and sub-specialists (in remote location) for radiology services. A teleradiologist can view a radiology report and provide a diagnosis without being present in the same room as the patient. An additional advantage of teleradiology is the availability of round-the-clock service. However, legislations by some countries require teleradiologists to be within the country’s borders when providing the services.

Healthcare organizations are looking to make use of technology to improve their operational efficiency. Among other factors, the rapidly increasing healthcare costs are encouraging the healthcare management to adopt teleradiology for their hospitals and institutions. An increasing number of patients and healthcare providers are requesting for radiology images & reports to be examined and prepared by radiologists with expertise in sub-specialties, thus, driving the need for teleradiology.

The report by TechNavio Insightsforecasts the size of the Global Teleradiology Market over the period 2008-2012. It provides the categorical segmentation of the teleradiology market and also segments the market into various geographic regions (representing the market size for each of these regions). Further, it discusses the key market trends, drivers and challenges of the Global Teleradiology Market, and profiles some of the key vendors of this market. The report also provides a list of some of the trade shows and conferences that cater to the teleradiology industry.

To read more on this report, please visit the link below:

http://www.technavio.com/content/global-teleradiology-market-2008-2012

If this is the year that back to school means sending your baby to college for the first or last time, or some year in between, you surely continue to be on the look out for those things that will help your child have the best experience possible – both academically and health wise.

There are an endless number of things that you can send with your student, but sending these 5 items can have a wonderfully positive effect on the success your student will experience this year!

Wireless Handheld Devices – Even though leaving for college space (both physically and figuratively) between you and your child, a phone for calls and text messaging, a Blackberry, a laptop, or all of the above make it easy and more likely that you will keep in reasonable contact with your child.

These are all also good in emergencies that may arise far away from the usual sources of help.?Most of these devices have GPS (global positioning system) embedded so that locating them can be done quickly and accurately should your child become stranded in a really remote location.

Compact Refrigerator – Many companies now rent these by the semester or school year which means enjoying the convenience without having to transport it back and forth between home and school.?Refrigeration makes it easy for your student to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables, and healthier alternatives to sodas that are often high in sugar, salt, and other additives.?

Over the Counter Medication and Toiletries – Having a small supply of medications on hand for minor problems such as headaches, stomach upset, cuts, scrapes, burns, congestion, colds and coughs can help take care of problems while they’re small.?A thermometer, either old fashioned or high tech is a good thing to have handy as well.?Having these items on hand is always more convenient and often less expensive.

Desk and Supplies – Check to determine whether a desk and chair are provided in the room.?If not, ask for the size of the space to insure that the desk you choose will fit.?Send the usual supplies such as a printer, paper, stapler, staples, pens, markers, and highlighters to insure a well prepared student. ?A lamp that provides light on the desk but does not light the entire room will go a long way towards changing a roommate to a friend.

Housekeeping Items – At least 2 sets of bed linens, blankets, rugs, curtains, posters and wall art, TV, DVD player, radio alarm clock will make for a seamless adjustment to college life.

One of the most important items every college dorm room should have is an air purifier.?With the increase of number of people college students are exposed to, the number of viruses and germs that are airborne and available for inhalation and/or ingestion are staggering.

With the ongoing threat of viruses like Swine Flu (H1N1), removing airborne pollutants to which many viruses attach to in the air is a proactive way to increase your student’s chances of staying healthy.