By Rasu Shrestha, MD, MBA
As people from every corner of the globe prepare to make the
most of the largest medical meeting in the world, one cannot be blamed for
being daunted with the superb array of sessions, courses and meetings that are
lined up for the week. The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) is
gearing up for what will be another great annual conference this year, with the
theme of “Patients First.” Whether you catch one or more of the superb plenary
sessions at the magnificent Arie Crown Theater, or choose from a wide range of
sessions and exhibits, you’re sure to find something to whet your appetite for
intellectual stimulation. Here, we’ve lined up our list of Top 10 Must See
Sessions for this year’s RSNA Conference.
Mock Jury
Trial (CODE: SPMT11; Sunday 10:30AM-03:30PM; LOCATION: S406A)
Catch
this if you can. The Mock Jury Trial promises to be entertaining and
informative, offering a unique glimpse of how expert radiologist witnesses
testify on direct examination by the attorney. Observe whether 12 laypersons can
be convinced as to whether a radiologist is negligent for perceived
communication lapses and alleged overexposure to radiation from CT.
Advanced
Image Analysis, including Applications such as Automated Stent Planning and
Multimodality Image Fusion and Treatment Planning (Hands-on Workshop)
(CODE: RC253; Monday 08:30-10:00AM; LOCATION: S401CD)
Join
Dr. Gary Wendt give you a superb hands on experience with 3D/4D advanced image
analysis tools – pushing the needle to richer imaging experience both for diagnosticians
and clinicians alike.
The RSNA
Image Share Network - How it Operates and How to Put it into your Office
(CODE: ICII24; Monday 04:30-06:00 PM; LOCATION: S501ABC)
Come
to this session and learn the ins and outs of leveraging RSNA’s Image Share system,
and key elements such as the IHE XDS-I standards from experts such as Dr David
Mendelson and Dr Steve Langer.
What the
Referring Physician Needs to Know (Sponsored by the RSNA Public Information
Committee) (CODE: RC316; Tuesday, 08:30-10:00 AM; LOCATION: S403B)
Successful
radiology groups have perfected the science and art of creating stickiness with
their referring physician base. Come learn the best practices.
Natural
Language Processing: Extracting Information from Text Radiology Reports to Improve
Quality (Informatics in Practice) (CODE: RC326; Tuesday, 08:30-10:00 AM;
LOCATION: S403A)
Whether
it’s automating quality improvement processes or extracting key information
from radiology reports, the power of NLP is only just starting to be realized in
medical informatics. Allow Dr Curtis Langlotz to show you what’s possible, with
real world examples that are sure to wow you.
From
Research to Reimbursement: The Story of CT Colonography and What It Teaches Us
about Healthcare Payment Policy (In Conjunction with the American College
of Radiology) (An Interactive Session) (CODE: RC327; Tuesday, 08:30-10:00 AM;
LOCATION: S402AB)
Using
CT colonography as an example, this session is set to unravel the mysteries of
how reimbursement for new technology is obtained from CPT code development,
valuation and coverage. Interactive techniques will be used to engage the
audience in the consideration of strategic partnerships between industry,
clinical research, governmental agencies and third party payors.
Decoding
the Alphabet Soup (IHE®, MIRC®, RadLex®, Reporting): Whirlwind Tour of RSNA
Informatics Projects (CODE: ICII33; Tuesday, 02:30-04:00 PM;
LOCATION:S501ABC)
Join
some of the who’s who in the radiology informatics industry help you unravel
the inner workings and benefits of some of the most exhilarating RSNA-sponsored
informatics projects. Radiology groups should take immediate advantage of these
efforts to improve their clinical practice.
The Use
of Business Analytics for Improving Radiology Operations, Quality, and Clinical
Performance (Informatics in Practice) (CODE: RC426; Tuesday, 04:30-06:00
PM, LOCATION:S403B)
How
a practice manages information is becoming a differentiator in the competitive
radiology market. Stay one step ahead of
the other guys with Dr Katherine Andriole as she details the capabilities of
current and potential future business analytics technologies.
The
Future of Radiology: What Are the Threats and How to Respond to Them (CODE:
RC527; Wednesday, 08:30-10:00 AM; LOCATION:N227)
Know
thy enemy. Understand the threats facing the radiology community and individual
radiology practices, and attain the skills to overcome them.
Dose
Image Gallery: Resetting Your Interpretation Comfort at Lower Radiation Doses
(An Interactive Session) (CODE: RC124; Sunday, 02:00-03:30 PM; LOCATION:E450B)
In
what continues to be a hot topic, the faculty in this session will with the help of actual multi-dose
images, discuss effects of radiation dose on image quality parameters such as
noise, contrast, sharpness, and artifacts. This refresher course is supported
by the RSNA Education Grant 2010-12 to develop program for training
radiologists in radiation dose reduction with help of images acquired at
multiple different dose levels.