FROM THE FOUNDATION

The Social Life of Health Information

A new Pew Internet/CHCF national survey finds the Internet has joined doctors and family members as one of the top three ways people search for answer to their health care questions.

Mapping Physician Supply in California

This report presents the first comprehensive study of the Medical Board of California survey data on practicing physicians in the state. It finds fewer M.D.s than previously estimated and a wide variation in supply among counties.

Restructuring Options for Community Clinics

Concerned about their long-term survival, some California community clinics are considering partnerships or mergers. This issue brief offers a roadmap for restructuring.

Special Reports

Monday, October 06, 2008

Growth of Private Imaging Centers Brings Warnings About Radiation From CT Scans

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In a California Healthline Special Report, three radiology experts discussed how a proliferation of private medical imaging centers is driving concerns about excessive exposure to radiation.

The Special Report includes comments from:

  • William Dillon, chief of diagnostic neuroradiology at UC-San Francisco;
  • David Schauer, executive director of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements; and
  • Arl Van Moore, president of the American College of Radiology.

Private medical imaging centers have sprouted up around California to offer consumers for several hundred dollars CT scans without a doctor's referral. The scans can aid early diagnosis of cancers or heart disease, but many experts are concerned about the level of radiation exposure from the procedures.

Van Moore's group has developed "appropriateness criteria" to help consumers weigh the risks and benefits of such scans (Kennedy, California Healthline, 10/6).

Running Time: 6:10



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