Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR
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Increasing concerns about radiation dose have led CT manufacturers to further develop radiation dose reduction tools in the latest generation of CT scanners. These tools include automated tube current modulation, automated tube potential selection, and iterative reconstruction. This review details the principles underlying each of these 3 dose reduction utilities and their different permutations on each of the major vendors' equipment. If available on the user's equipment, all 3 of these tools should be used in conjunction to enable maximum radiation dose savings.
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Comparative Study
The effect of the controversial US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations on the use of screening mammography.
The 2009 release of updated US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on screening mammography differed sharply from those of the American Cancer Society, the ACR, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The aim of this study was to ascertain the effect of these recommendations on the utilization of screening mammography in the Medicare population. ⋯ The abrupt decrease in the utilization of screening mammography in 2010 was in sharp contrast to the previous slow annual increases in its utilization from 2005 to 2009. Because there are no other factors to explain a decrease of this magnitude, it would seem that the USPSTF recommendations and the ensuing publicity resulted in a decrease in the utilization of screening mammography in the Medicare population in the first year after issuance of the new recommendations.
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Comparative Study
Megaconference: a radical approach to radiology resident education with full-day weekly conferences.
The aim of this study was to assess the value and educational experience of instituting a weekly full-day educational conference format for radiology residents. ⋯ Conference interruptions, cancellations, and tardiness were essentially eliminated with the new model. Individual conference quality was reported to have improved as the result of the more formal format and larger audience size. Residents maintained productivity and exposure to case volume despite the loss of a single clinical day. Although residents' perceptions of the new model were predominantly positive or neutral, downsides included fewer cases per resident in case conferences and a less intimate conference setting.