Concerns about the economics of mammography and how radiologists can respond.

Rapidly increasing U.S. healthcare spending has been a hot topic over the past few decades. Imaging studies, including screening mammography, are possible targets for cost savings. Radiologists need to be more proactive and take charge by actively participating in the cost reduction conversation, improving the quality of care, providing patients with accurate cost estimates and educating patients along with clinicians on the value we have provided and can provide in the future.

The Economic and Social Value of an Image Exchange Network: A Case for the Cloud.

As the health care environment continually changes, radiologists look to the ACR's Imaging 3.0® initiative to guide the search for value. By leveraging new technology, a cloud-based image exchange network could provide secure universal access to prior images, which were previously siloed, to facilitate accurate interpretation, improved outcomes, and reduced costs. The breast imaging department represents a viable starting point given the robust data supporting the benefit of access to prior imaging studies, existing infrastructure for image sharing, and the current workflow reliance on prior images. This concept is scalable not only to the remainder of the radiology department but also to the broader medical record.