UHC has released the findings of a new study that evaluated the use of medical devices based on cost and quality outcomes. The goal of the study was to uncover several trends related to high-priced physician preference items (PPIs). Utilization of PPIs — which can account for 30 to 40 percent of a hospital's supply expenses — at 10 academic medical centers, focusing on procedures utilizing orthopedic implants, coronary and peripheral stents and cardiac valves.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has renewed the status of the American College of Radiology’s (ACR) National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR) as a Qualified Clinical Data Registry. With the renewal, radiology professionals can continue to use the NRDR to meet quality reporting requirements under the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS).

Hitachi Aloka Medical Ltd. and iVu Imaging Corp. announced the signing of an agreement making Hitachi Aloka the exclusive global distributor of iVu’s Sofia automated whole breast ultrasound scanner. The agreement represents an expansion of the relationship between the companies based on the early success they have achieved in North America.

A new KLAS report on business intelligence (BI) found that healthcare organizations are looking for BI vendors with industry expertise and content to handle the growing complexities of data management. The report — entitled Health Analytics 2015: Moving toward the Continuum of Care — stresses that in-organization data is only a part of the picture and that data aggregation capabilities are more important than ever before.

DePuy Synthes Companies has signed an exclusive worldwide sales agreement with Radlink Inc. to offer real-time image guidance with DePuy Synthes’ hip replacement systems. The announcement was made in conjunction with the 81st annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) in Las Vegas.

By downloading the American College of Radiology (ACR) 2015 Annual Meeting App, radiology professionals can access up-to-the-minute meeting information. This includes CME session details, featured faculty and exclusive offers.

Green Circle Health (GCH) announced the availability of its GCH Platform, an online patient-to-provider communications gateway. The platform enables the real-time exchange of patient vitals and health records among physicians, patients, family members and insurers. It leverages a patent-pending workflow to facilitate the collaborative sharing of data and enhance healthcare providers’ ability to proactively monitor, diagnose and treat medical conditions.