Massachusetts General Hospital

Thrall honored with NIH appointment

MGH Hotline 4.10.09 MGH Radiologist-in-Chief James Thrall, MD, is one of three individuals to be appointed a new member of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD).

A whole new image: Radiology is now Imaging

MGH Hotline 09.18.09 Launching a new “image,” the MGH Department of Radiology now will be known as Massachusetts General Hospital Imaging.

Overexposed? Radio discussion focuses on appropriate use of imaging

In this radio segment produced by Boston's public-radio station WBUR, a panel including Mass General Imaging radiologist-in-chief Dr. James H. Thrall discusses so-called "overuse" of imaging technology.

The right scan at the right time

Article highlights Mass General Imaging's efforts to reduce unnecessary scans using decision-support software that provides intelligent feedback to the doctors ordering exams.

Helping doctors make informed decisions about CT scans

New clinical decision support tools help doctors decide whether or not a CT scan is necessary based on medical evidence.

TV report highlights radiation safety efforts at Massachusetts General Hospital Imaging

Steps local hospitals are taking to keep patients safe.

FDA to increase oversight of medical radiation

The FDA puts its regulatory muscle behind a growing movement to make life-saving medical radiation—both diagnostic and therapeutic—safer.

Radiation risk low with whole-body airport scanners

The radiation risk from full-body scanners used to improve airport security is low and unlikely to raise an individual's risk of cancer, according to experts including Mass General's Dr. James Thrall.

Q&A: Look closer at CT scan cancer risks

In many cases, the benefits of these tests—in finding cancers, aneurysms or blood clots—far outweigh the relatively low risks of radiation.

Study looks at radiation exposure

As many as two-thirds of adults underwent a medical test in the last few years that exposed them to radiation and in some cases, a potentially higher risk of cancer, a study in five areas of the US suggests.

The scan that didn’t scan

All MRIs are not created equal: Look for expertise among those administering the exams and among the radiologists reading them.

Despite fears, radiation health risk remains low, experts say

Amid dire reports of melting fuel rods and sickened workers at Japan’s beleaguered Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear reactor, the public health risk from radiation exposure remains very low in that country—or abroad, according to experts including Mass General Radiologist-in-Chief James H. Thrall, MD.

When does Japan radiation threat become harmful?

Mass General Imaging Radiologist-in-Chief James H. Thrall, MD, discusses real and imagined threats from the Japan nuclear crisis.

What to know before getting a CT scan

Two Mass General experts talk about what patients need to know when their doctor suggests a CT scan.

Mass General Imaging customizes CT radiation doses via 'virtual autopsy'

Using cadavers, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital are testing and customizing CT protocols to dramatically cut the dosage needed for live patients by as much as half the reference levels nationally.

MGH group envisions worldwide access to quality Imaging care

According to a recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO), two-thirds of the global population lacks access to diagnostic imaging care. At the MGH, a team of Imaging staff is working to address this need through a new initiative: MGH Imaging Global Health Programs.

Our experts share tips on reducing head-CT radiation

Continuing Mass General Imaging's leadership role in reducing CT radiation, radiologists from Mass General have co-authored a journal article summarizing methods for dose optimization in head CT scans.

Thrall: Healthcare IT can help rads tackle radiation exposure

It's imperative that radiologists proactively find ways to keep radiation dose to a minimum, and healthcare IT can help, according to Dr. James H. Thrall, who spoke on the topic this week at the New York Medical Imaging Informatics Symposium.

Chief radiologist James H. Thrall elected to Institute of Medicine

Mass General Radiologist-in-Chief James H. Thrall is among 65 new members honored with election to the prestigious Institute of Medicine.

Mass General Imaging leads charge to reduce CT radiation with launch of research center, publication of clinical protocols

First-of-its-kind Webster Center for Advanced Research and Education in Radiation devoted to achieving the lowest radiation dose for every patient. Availability of CT exam protocols gives radiology practitioners worldwide access to more than a decade’s worth of clinical expertise on reducing radiation exposure