Image sharing is slowly gaining wider acceptance among healthcare systems as technology continues to advance, according to a new survey from software provider peer 60.  As technology improves so do processes. Reducing repeat imaging is one of the driving factors for facilities to adopt image-sharing technology, as when patients are re-imaged, they are exposed to unnecessary radiation, which also drives up the cost of healthcare. As such, 67 percent of hospital decision-makers consider imaging sharing a critical function, while just 1 percent said it is not critical at all. These decision-makers rate picture archiving and communication system (PACS)vendors and cloud networks as the two most viable solutions to meet their image-sharing needs. Vendor neutral archive (VNA) vendors are a distant third place, according to the report. {read more here}

After decades of Alzheimer’s research that led to dead ends, including 123 drugs that failed, top researchers in the field say they are far more confident now of producing an effective treatment.  Their optimism has been building ahead of the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), which starts on Saturday in Washington, DC. New experimental drugs from Eli Lilly and Co and Biogen have shown promise in slowing down the progression of the mind-wasting disease, attracting the attention of investors and patients. {read more here}

er the next 35 years, about 28 million baby boomers will likely develop Alzheimer’s disease, and the annual bill for their care will balloon from $11.9 billion in 2020 to more than $328 billion in 2040, says an analysis released Monday.  Barring the discovery of treatment that could delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, the cost of caring for baby boomers with the disorder by 2040 will eat up a quarter of the nation’s total Medicare spending, researchers have estimated. {read more here}

The combination of lapatinib plus trastuzumab for patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer resulted in high response rates when used early. Additionally, undergoing [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([18F]FDG-PET/CT) 1 week into therapy could predict response to this treatment. {read more here}