RSNA Press Release

OAK BROOK, Ill. (May3, 2010) — Commemorating 10 years of growth in content, features and online visitors, RadiologyInfo.org, the public information Web site co-sponsored by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and the American College of Radiology (ACR), announces the launch of a refreshed and reorganized site.

RadiologyInfo.org's "facelift" followed a formal usability study that gave the site high marks in the usefulness, understandability and trustworthiness of its content, but indicated a need for an updated look and more intuitive, patient-directed navigation.

"The redesigned site offers visitors several simpler, more direct paths to the information they need," said James S. Donaldson, M.D., co-chair of the RSNA-ACR Public Information Web site Committee.

Increasingly, patients want detailed information about their medical care, tests and treatments. Physicians want to provide that information, but are often time constrained.

"That's how RadiologyInfo.org helps," Dr. Donaldson said, "by offering patients thorough descriptions of radiology procedures."

RadiologyInfo.org provides patients with easy access to understandable descriptions of complex radiology procedures, and answers questions about how to prepare, what to expect and who interprets the results. The site also provides information on the benefits vs. the risks of procedures.

Launched in 2000 with 18 common radiology procedures, RadiologyInfo.org now covers more than 100 diagnostic, interventional, nuclear medicine and radiation therapy procedures. In addition, the site offers printable patient handouts, videos, patient safety information, news about important developments in radiology, and more.

"RadiologyInfo.org helps patients and their families understand why a certain imaging exam is being performed and what they can expect from the procedure," said Christoph Wald, M.D., Ph.D., co-chair of the RSNA-ACR Public Information Web site Committee. "Having this knowledge will make patients better prepared for their exam and help them ask the right questions."

Available in English and Spanish, the award-winning site averages more than 550,000 visits per month.

RSNA (RSNA.org) is an association of more than 44,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research.

ACR (ACR.org) The 34,000 members of the American College of Radiology include radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists, interventional radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians. For over three quarters of a century, the ACR has devoted its resources to making imaging safe, effective and accessible to those who need it.