JCCT publishes Business Aspects of Cardiac CT special focus issue

Arlington, VA (Feb. 28, 2025) – The Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT) published a special focus issue dedicated to the economic and logistical aspects of running a cardiac computed tomography (CT) program.

Business Aspects of Cardiac CT provides up-to-date advice on running a cardiac CT program, information on advocacy and regulation, and data on cost effectiveness of cardiac CT, according to JCCT Editor-in-Chief Armin Zadeh, MD, PhD, MPH, MSCCT.

“My heartfelt gratitude goes to Dr. Ahmad Slim, who served as the chief guest editor, and to SCCT CEO Joanne Olson, Dr. Jonathan Leipsic, and Dr. Edward Nicol, who contributed to this special focus issue as guest editors,” wrote Dr. Zadeh in the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) journal’s January/February issue introduction. 

“The response to the special focus issue announcement was overwhelming and not all submissions could be included. Exceeding our expectations, we included 16 excellent papers for this issue. I am confident that readers will derive much valuable information from this effort and it is our hope that these contributions will advance the business case for cardiac CT.”

Chief Guest Editor Ahmad M. Slim, MD, FSCCT explained the special focus issue is intended to be a comprehensive toolkit and educational supplement for imagers to understand the business aspect of medicine with a focus on cardiovascular imaging to build new programs or expand existing programs while focusing on quality, efficiency and financial success.

The idea for this Special Focus Issue topic originated from Immediate Past President Ed Nicol, MD, MBA, MSCCT, during his presidency.

“Whilst the underpinning science for cardiovascular CT reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is extremely robust, and supported by large randomised control trials and real world studies, this is for nought if practitioners and providers cannot set up, justify and deliver cardiovascular CT from a business perspective,” said Dr. Nicol. 

“This special focus starts a process of providing both qualitative and quantitative data and commentary from thought leaders focused on the business aspects of cardiovascular CT that supports SCCT's mission of wider access to cardiovascular CT, delivered by a clinical and business-aware community." 

The list of articles includes:

• Establishing a Successful Cardiovascular Computed Tomography Service: financial and regulatory challenges facing radiologists and cardiologists
• Coding and Coverage for Cardiac CT in the Era of Algorithm-based Healthcare Procedures and Services
• Variability in Technical Fee Billing for Cardiac CT Across Congenital Cardiac Centers
• SCCT Health Policy and Advocacy Efforts
• Cost-effectiveness of ultra high-resolution photon-counting detector coronary CT angiography for the evaluation of stable chest pain
• Impact of an Institutional Process Change Adopting End-Systolic Coronary CTA Acquisition and Automated Dose Selection on Patient Throughput and Image Quality
• Disrupting Diastole Toward Consistency in Systole: Iterations to Increase CCTA Protocol Standardization
• Resource utilization and healthcare management of invasive versus non-invasive strategy for Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy Surveillance in Heart Transplantation
• Cardiac CT in the Context of Value-Based Care
• Cardiac CT Angiography: Financial Implications of Different Practice Types
• How Cardiac Computed Tomography Angiography and Positron Emission Tomography Play Complementary Roles in a Practice's Business Model
• Unlocking the Gates: Uptake of Cardiac CT and Barriers to Wider Adoption Among Primary Care Providers
• Non-Invasive Imaging Innovation: FFR-CT combined with plaque characterization, Safeguarding Your Cardiac Health
• The RUCkus Around Plaque
• Redefining CAV Surveillance Strategies: benefits of CCTA vs. ICA
• Regional and Socioeconomic Disparities in Calcium Scans 

Along with the special focus issue – available open access through October 2025 – SCCT provided a collection of tools and resources to support imagers in their business aspect ventures, including an upcoming JCCT Pulse podcast episode, dedicated Business Aspects topic forum, up-to-date coding and billing resources, and the SCCT Starter Kit, created in 2023 to help providers plan, launch and operate a cardiac CT service.

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About the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography
Founded in 2005, the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) is the international professional society devoted to improving health outcomes through effective use of cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT), with members from over 85 countries. SCCT is a community of physicians, scientists and technologists advocating for access, research, education and clinical excellence in the use of CCT. For more information, please visit https://scct.org/.

About the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography  
The Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT) is a peer-review journal of the SCCT that integrates the international cardiovascular CT community and addresses a broad range of topics affecting cardiovascular CT imaging. The journal’s major focus is on original research and on the clinical and technical aspects of cardiovascular CT. For more information, please visit www.journalofcardiovascularct.com.  

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