Over the last several years in the U.S., healthcare providers have been trying to shift their focus to more preventive care to keep healthcare costs down. This has placed a greater emphasis on screening large segments of the population for various diseases in an attempt to catch them earlier. Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening has emerged as a powerful tool in the early detection of lung cancer, following a B rating by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in 2013. 

Nuclear imaging technology for both single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) have made advancements in the past couple years. The main drivers for this have been a movement to digital imaging detectors to improve image quality and address radiation dose concerns, reimbursement and radiotracer supply issues. Other advancements have come in the areas of software to improve image reconstruction quality, offer better clinical qualification and analytics data.

While working with a patient with Crohn’s disease in my gastroenterology practice, I nearly ordered a computed tomography (CT) scan for her as I began to formulate a plan. After talking with her, I discovered she had received 18 CT scans at multiple hospitals in the prior three years. As a physics major, I knew medical radiation was potentially harmful, but nowhere was that harm calculated and put into real terms for me to assimilate in my plan.

There have been a few big, recent advancements in cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) imaging technology. The biggest of these was the introduction of two CT systems aimed specifically at the coronary imaging market — the GE Healthcare Cardiographe dedicated cardiac CT scanner and the Canon (formerly Toshiba) Aquilion Precision.