Reimbursements Are Top Concern of Providers in Breast Imaging

Providers rave about Hologic tomosynthesis' cancer finding potential and vent about reimbursement and PACS integration issues

2012-04-10

OREM, UT, April 10, 2012 (Press-News.org) In a new KLAS study, "Women's Imaging 2012: Tomosynthesis Makes a Splash," Hologic leads as the number one vendor in digital mammography. Combined with a strong digital mammography product and excellent service, tomosynthesis helps Hologic solidify their leadership position in the space.

Tomosynthesis lives up to the hype, but KLAS found that there are still some issues to be ironed out with the newly approved technology. For those upgrading to tomosynthesis, the high cost is something to consider, especially because reimbursements continue to be cut for screening. Also, PACS lack of integration plagues some providers, causing workflow problems.

"Some customers reported that their PACS system would not accept tomosynthesis studies. It has created a workflow concern for radiologists who have to leave their office or reading room and come out to the tomosynthesis workstation to read the study," said report author Monique Rasband. "Despite these challenges, many are saying it is worth the effort because they are able to so clearly identify lesions they may not have been able to see before."

GE leads the second tier of digital mammography vendors. Fuji, GE, and Siemens all perform above the medical equipment average, but have not quite been able to keep up with Hologic. GE has a market share advantage over Fuji and Siemens. A wide range of imaging products and long-established relationships propel GE into many new digital mammography deals. However, KLAS found that sub-par implementations and lagging tomosynthesis development keep GE second to Hologic.

Siemens improved year over year and is fighting for market share with their second run at digital mammography--this time using their own detectors. Siemens has made some headway tackling reliability issues, but more work is needed. KLAS found that the Siemens customers reported the most downtime in the study. Fuji was found to play prevalently in smaller hospitals and outpatient centers and customers appreciated the cost-effective solution. However, Fuji's CR unit is seen as old technology. Their new digital mammography unit, recently FDA approved, has not picked up a lot of steam among Fuji's current customers.

Reimbursement problems plagued the niche vendors included in the study. Aurora, Dilon, SonoCine, and U-Systems all offer a niche breast imaging product, and all had customers that reported problems getting reimbursed for screening patients. Many providers liked the functionality of SonoCine and U-Systems, but said they would not use it in many cases because reimbursement codes did not exist and patients did not want to pay out of pocket. Those doing diagnostic imaging with these modalities did not run into as many issues with reimbursements. U-Systems is currently working with the FDA to get approval for screeing in all 50 states.

Though not ranked in the study, several RIS and mammography information system (MIS) vendors are discussed. When providers were asked to rate the usability of their MIS or RIS vendor, it was found that MIS vendors PenRad, MRS, and MagView have some niche functionality that providers like, but they somewhat lack in service coverage. Providers reported that a couple of the RIS vendors, Fuji and Merge, have excellent mammography modules. On the other hand, some of the larger IT vendors like Cerner, GE, and Siemens struggle to provide the functionality needed for mammography.

To learn more about the women's imaging market and the strengths and weaknesses of the measured vendors, the report "Women's Imaging 2012: Tomosynthesis Makes a Splash" is available to healthcare providers a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the report providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com.

KLAS is a research firm specializing in monitoring and reporting the performance of healthcare vendors. KLAS' mission is to improve delivery, by independently measuring vendor performance for the benefit of our healthcare provider partners, consultants, investors, and vendors. Working together with executives from over 4500 hospitals and over 2500 clinics, KLAS delivers timely reports, trends, and statistics, which provide a solid overview of vendor performance worldwide in the industry. KLAS measures performance of software, professional services, and medical equipment vendors. For more information, go to www.KLASresearch.com, email marketing@KLASresearch.com, or call 1-800-920-4109 to speak with a KLAS representative. Follow KLAS on Twitter at www.twitter.com/KLASresearch.

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Reputation Changer: Travel Industry Faces Dire Need for Reputation Services

2012-04-10

For those who love to travel, the Internet is an increasingly prominent tool. Travelers use the Web, including social networks, to book their hotels and even to buy plane tickets. What is more, many travelers also use the Web to share their thoughts on different travel accommodations, whether they are offering an airline recommendation or a full review of a particular hotel. But as travelers have increasingly embraced the Web, the travel industry has found itself facing an urgent need for online reputation services. In fact, more and more hotels are seeking protection against ...

Detecting breast cancer's fingerprint in a droplet of blood

2012-04-10

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime. The earlier cancer is detected, the better the chance of successful treatment and long-term survival. However, early cancer diagnosis is still challenging as testing by mammography remains cumbersome, costly, and in many cases, cancer can only be detected at an advanced stage. A team based in the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering at McGill University's Faculty of Medicine has developed a new microfluidics-based microarray that could one day radically change how and when cancer is diagnosed. Their ...

New index identifies periods when global stock markets might decline

2012-04-10

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers have found a way to measure the likelihood of global stock market losses by identifying periods in which shocks may be more likely to spread across many national markets. This "fragility index" identifies periods in which international equity markets are more susceptible to widespread pull-backs by identifying common risk exposures. The index identifies when systemic risk exposure is high in markets across multiple countries, and shows an increasing probability of a global stock market draw-down. For example, the likelihood of a global ...

African Americans more likely to blog than whites and Latinos

2012-04-10

The blogging community is more racially diverse than one might think. Internet-connected African Americans are more likely to blog than their white and Hispanic counterparts, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley. While African Americans as a whole are less likely to afford laptops and personal computers, Internet-savvy blacks, on average, blog one and a half times to nearly twice as much as whites, while Hispanics blog at the same rate as whites, according to a study published in the March online issue of the journal, Information, Communication ...

Clinical news alert from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

2012-04-10

Airport security screening has increased substantially during the past decade, while joint replacement procedures also continue to rise. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), in 2009, nearly 300,000 total hip replacements (THR) were performed in the United States. A new study, "Detection of Total Hip Prostheses at Airport Security Checkpoints: How Has Heightened Security Affected Patients," appearing in the April 4, 2012 issue of the JBJS, provides an analysis of current security measures on patients who have had a THR. A consecutive ...

Recovery from propofol anesthesia may be sped by use of common stimulant

2012-04-10

The ability of the commonly used stimulant methylphenidate (Ritalin) to speed recovery from general anesthesia appears to apply both to the inhaled gas isoflurane, as previously reported, and to the intravenous drug propofol. Members of the same Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) research team that reported the isoflurane study are publishing similar results for propofol in the May issue of Anesthesiology, and their paper has been issued online. "Propofol is the most widely used intravenous general anesthetic, and there is currently no way to reverse its effects," ...

Notre Dame researchers using novel method to combat malaria drug resistance

2012-04-10

Researchers from the University of Notre Dame's Eck Institute for Global Health developed a "gene chip" to contribute to the identification of malaria drug resistance, an effort that will allow for real-time response in modified treatment strategies for this devastating disease. The new discovery is described in a paper appearing in the latest early online edition of the journal Science. The team of researchers includes Notre Dame's Michael Ferdig, associate professor of biological sciences and doctoral student Becky Miller along with John Tan, managing director of the ...

History of abandoned urban sites found stored in soil

2012-04-10

April 5, 2012 - Old houses and vacant lots may not look like much to the naked eye, but to some, the site is better than gold. Excavations over the years can create a challenge to study what's left behind and often appears as if dirt and debris ended up mixed in a blender then pressed by a giant trash compactor. However, in Detroit, one scientist and geologist is finding some of the city's abandoned lots provide a surprising "natural laboratory" for studying certain processes involved in soil formation; particularly the weathering of rocky and mineral objects within ...

New research reveals food ingredients most prone to fraudulent economically motivated adulteration

2012-04-10

Rockville, Md., April 5, 2012 — In new research published in the April Journal of Food Science, analyses of the first known public database compiling reports on food fraud and economically motivated adulteration in food highlight the most fraud-prone ingredients in the food supply; analytical detection methods; and the type of fraud reported. Based on a review of records from scholarly journals, the top seven adulterated ingredients in the database are olive oil, milk, honey, saffron, orange juice, coffee, and apple juice. The database was created by the U.S. Pharmacopeial ...

Copper chains: Study reveals Earth's deep-seated hold on copper

2012-04-10

Earth is clingy when it comes to copper. A new Rice University study this week in the journal Science finds that nature conspires at scales both large and small -- from the realms of tectonic plates down to molecular bonds -- to keep most of Earth's copper buried dozens of miles below ground. "Everything throughout history shows us that Earth does not want to give up its copper to the continental crust," said Rice geochemist Cin-Ty Lee, the lead author of the study. "Both the building blocks for continents and the continental crust itself, dating back as much as 3 billion ...

Reimbursements Are Top Concern of Providers in Breast Imaging

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: