Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Radiology for December 2019. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
New Workflow Could Improve Imaging Assessment in Research
TUESDAY, Dec. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Institutional imaging cores may help provide unbiased and reproducible measurements and enable a leaner workflow in assessing tumor measurements for patients participating in clinical trials, according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
Subtle Cognitive Difficulties May Predict Amyloidosis
TUESDAY, Dec. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Individuals with objectively-defined subtle cognitive difficulties (Obj-SCD) have faster amyloid accumulation and faster entorhinal cortical thinning compared with cognitively normal (CN) individuals, according to a study published online Dec. 30 in Neurology.
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fMRI Measures May Predict Psychiatric Symptoms in Children
TUESDAY, Dec. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures may be able to predict symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or major depressive disorder in children, according to a study published online Dec. 26 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Dense Breast Notifications May Not Be Having Intended Impact
MONDAY, Dec. 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — While dense breast notifications (DBNs) are mandated legislatively in more than 35 states, they may not be having their intended impact, according to a study published online Dec. 16 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
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Changes Needed to Address Out-of-Network Billing at Hospitals
FRIDAY, Dec. 27, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Requiring hospitals to sell a package of facility and physician services would protect patients from out-of-network bills at in-network hospitals, according to a report published online Dec. 16 in Health Affairs.
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Machine Learning Model Helps Predict Risk for MI, Cardiac Death
FRIDAY, Dec. 27, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A machine learning (ML) model improves the prediction of long-term risks for myocardial infarction (MI) and cardiac death, according to a study published online Dec. 19 in Cardiovascular Research.
Regular Cannabis Use May Cause Adverse Cardiac Changes
THURSDAY, Dec. 26, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Regular recreational cannabis use is associated with alterations in cardiac structure and function, according to a letter to the editor published in the December issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.
Patient Share of Out-of-Network Costs Rising
TUESDAY, Dec. 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The out-of-pocket costs for out-of-network (OON) care grew rapidly for privately insured Americans from 2012 to 2017, according to a study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Managed Care.
ASTRO Issues Recs for Radiation Tx of Basal, Squamous Cell Carcinoma
TUESDAY, Dec. 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In an executive summary of an American Society for Radiation Oncology clinical practice guideline, published online Dec. 9 in Practical Radiation Oncology, recommendations are presented for the use of radiation therapy (RT) for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC).
Enrollment in Affordable Care Act Holds Steady for Third Straight Year
MONDAY, Dec. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Enrollment in Affordable Care Act coverage for next year has surpassed 8 million, a sign that many Americans still turn to the government health insurance program to help pay for their medical care.
RT for DCIS Ups Mortality Risk in Invasive Second Breast Cancer
FRIDAY, Dec. 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For women with primary ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), use of radiotherapy (RT) is associated with increased rates of breast cancer-specific mortality for those women who subsequently develop an invasive second breast cancer (SBC), according to a study published in the November issue of the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
Private Care Program for U.S. Vets Gets $8.9 Billion in Budget Deal
THURSDAY, Dec. 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A controversial program meant to get more U.S. veterans to use private health care received $8.9 billion as part of a government spending bill approved by the House.
FDA to Allow States to Import Prescription Drugs From Other Countries
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Federal health officials have unveiled plans to allow prescription drug imports from Canada and other foreign nations.
Obesity, Smoking Do Not Impact Long-Term Healing of Wrist Fractures
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Excellent clinical and radiographic outcomes can be achieved with surgery for displaced wrist fractures in patients who are obese and in those who smoke, according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of Hand Surgery.
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Deep Learning Model Predicts Future Breast Cancer Risk
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A deep learning (DL) model can predict which women are at risk for subsequent development of breast cancer, with higher accuracy than density-based models, according to a study published online Dec. 17 in Radiology.
Outcomes Worse for Rural Residents With Chronic Conditions
MONDAY, Dec. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Rural Medicare beneficiaries with complex chronic conditions have higher preventable hospitalization and mortality rates than their urban peers, which is partially explained by reduced access to specialists, according to a report published in the December issue of Health Affairs, a theme issue on rural health.
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Results Mixed for Twice-Daily APBI in Early Breast Cancer
MONDAY, Dec. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) delivered twice per day over one week to the tumor bed is noninferior to whole breast irradiation for preventing ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR), but moderate late radiation toxicity and adverse cosmesis were more common with this regimen, according to a study published online Dec. 5 in The Lancet.
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Hahn Confirmed as New FDA Chief
FRIDAY, Dec. 13, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Stephen Hahn, M.D., was confirmed as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a 72-18 Senate vote on Thursday.
Exposure to PM2.5 Linked to Decline in Episodic Memory
THURSDAY, Dec. 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Long-term exposure to particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <2.5 µm (PM2.5) contributes to decline in free recall/new learning among older women, according to a study published online Nov. 20 in Brain.
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Trampoline-Related Pediatric Fractures Increased 2008 Through 2017
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — From 2008 to 2017, there was an increase in the incidence of trampoline-related pediatric fractures, with a significant increase in the odds of a fracture occurring at a place of recreation or sport, according to a study published online Dec. 11 in Pediatrics.
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USPSTF Advises AAA Screening Based on Sex, Age, Smoking History
TUESDAY, Dec. 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening vary by sex, smoking status, and family history. These recommendations form the basis of a final recommendation statement published in the Dec. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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U.S. Primary Care Doctors Face Challenges in Coordinating Care
TUESDAY, Dec. 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Physicians from the United States and other high-income countries report difficulties with care coordination, with a substantial proportion of U.S. physicians not receiving timely notification or the information needed from specialists or other sites of care, according to a study published online Dec. 10 in Health Affairs.
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Fewer Cases of Radiation-Induced Xerostomia Found With Acupuncture
TUESDAY, Dec. 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Acupuncture results in significantly fewer and less severe symptoms of radiation-induced xerostomia (RIX) among patients with oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal carcinoma, according to a study published online Dec. 6 in JAMA Network Open.
U.S. Health Care Spending Up 4.6 Percent in 2018
TUESDAY, Dec. 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In 2018, U.S. health care spending increased 4.6 percent, a faster rate than that seen in 2017, according to a report published online Dec. 5 in Health Affairs.
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2016 to 2019 Saw Increase in Medical Students With Disabilities
MONDAY, Dec. 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — From 2016 to 2019, there was an increase in the proportion of medical students reporting disabilities, according to a research letter published in the Nov. 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Rural Population Underrepresented Among Medical Students
FRIDAY, Dec. 6, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In 2017, less than 5 percent of all incoming medical students were rural students, according to a study published in the December issue of Health Affairs, a theme issue on rural health.
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Services Affected by Rural Hospitals Joining Health Systems
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — While affiliating with health systems may boost a rural hospital’s financial viability, the affiliation is often associated with reductions in critical services, according to a study published in the December issue of Health Affairs, a theme issue on rural health.
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Deep Learning Models Can Help Interpret Chest Radiographs
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Deep learning models can be used for interpretation of chest radiographs, according to a study published online Dec. 3 in Radiology.
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Palm, Finger Temps Higher on Thermal Imaging in RA Patients
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Palm and finger temperatures are significantly increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) without active inflammation compared with healthy controls, according to a study published online Nov. 25 in Scientific Reports.
About One in Three in ED for Low Back Pain Receive Imaging
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Imaging is obtained for about one in three patients with emergency department visits for low back pain, according to a study published online Nov. 19 in the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Adults Not Living in Metro Areas Have Reduced Access to Care
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Adults not living in metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) are more likely to have reduced access to or use of health care services, according to a study published online Dec. 4 in the National Health Statistics Reports, a publication from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Physician Depressive Symptoms Tied to Higher Risk for Medical Errors
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Physicians showing depressive symptoms are at higher risk for medical errors, according to a review published Nov. 27 in JAMA Network Open.
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