Computerized diagnostic aids fail in early test

In just two years, computerized systems that help physicians choose diagnostic imaging tests will be mandatory for most elderly patients in the United States. But these decision-support systems fail two-thirds of the time, according to a new study published in June in The Journal of the American Medical Association. The study was the largest of its kind, involving more than 3,300 clinicians in eight different states and over 117,000 orders for advanced diagnostic imaging.