Dear AuntMinnieEurope CT Insider,
Inappropriate imaging is a growing problem in Europe, where up to 40% of radiology exams are unnecessary. Despite rising imaging volumes, many countries lack up-to-date referral guidelines, according to our longstanding editorial advisor Prof. Erik Ranschaert, PhD.
Given its heavy reliance on CT, Belgium is facing strong pressure to reduce healthcare costs and radiation exposure, and this lies behind the nation’s novel approach to radiology referrals. You can find out more in today’s top story.
In other news, a team from the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh in Dublin has shared its experiences of developing local diagnostic reference levels and training radiographers over the past four years.
Which method is best for assessing CT image quality? Dutch researchers have evaluated a range of techniques used to determine image quality, and they’ve created a decision tree as a guide for method selection.
Large language models continue to show promise for analyzing radiology reports of bone fractures imaged on CT, and this can help radiologists to more quickly classify patients’ injuries, German authors have reported.
Last but not least, a group led by thoracic imaging experts Prof. Mathias Prokop and Dr. Annemiek Snoeckx has published new nodule management recommendations for low-dose CT lung cancer screening. The advice emphasizes lesion aggressiveness, size, and morphology, while building on previous guidance.
This newsletter has highlighted only a few of the many CT articles we’ve posted during the past few weeks. For the full list, go to the CT content area.
Philip Ward
Editor in Chief
AuntMinnieEurope.com