HealthManagement, Volume - 5 - Issue 1, 2006

By the time you read this issue, you may already be at the ECR 2005 conference, in Vienna. If you are, we hope you have a very successful conference.

 

Positron Emission Tomography, especially linked with Computer Tomography, has substantially increased the scope of nuclear medicine with many new possible applications. In this issue, we have a review from Dr Rodrigo Moreno-Reyes from Erasmus hospital in Belgium of the role of current applications of PET. More detailed views are given in papers on nuclear medicine for brain tumours and in cellular and molecular therapy, and also on new methods for collecting and interpreting diagnostic images.

 

The cover story is complemented by ECRI comparison charts for scanning systems, and positron emission tomography – a fascinating overview of current technology in this field.

 

The country focus section in this issue looks at Belgium. Although small, the country has one of the highest patient:doctor ratios in Europe. It also has a unique federal system and three official languages, largely concentrated in different regions. Here, you can find out what specific challenges radiologists face in the country as well as the contribution that it has made to radiology. There are also insights into the way Belgium approaches the challenges of organising its radiology departments, deals with the controversial topic of extra-mural radiology or trains its radiologists.

 

‘My opinion’ continues the Belgian theme, as Paul Veithen, the general manager of AGFA Europe, shares his views on Europe’s imaging industry and his admiration for the leading Belgian radiologist, Emeritus Prof. Albert L. Baert of Leuven University.

 

In addition, we have our regular letter from America and Agenda of forthcoming conferences in Europe and North America.

 

As this journal continues to develop, we would be pleased to receive research, audit and reviews of issues relevant to the management of radiology departments and the provision of radiology services locally, nationally and across Europe.

 

We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Ian McCall

Editor-in-Chief

EIC@IMAGINGMANAGEMENT.ORG

«« Ethicon Endo-Surgery Introduces a New MRI-Guided Breast Biopsy Device