Medical imaging equipment is the newest and most efficient medical innovation that hospitals and healthcare facilities can implement. Many hospital administrators find themselves wondering if it’s worth it.
This investment shouldn’t be made without giving it an appropriate amount of thought. If the budget approvals for hospitals in Vermont are any indication for the rest of the nation, then there is a need to make astute financial decisions. Experts are of the opinion that the lack of funding is holding back innovation in the healthcare system across the US and we can understand how difficult it can be to decide if you need DR in your facility.
It need not be so complicated to decide to switch to DR though. We’ve written this blog to walk you through some vital considerations when deciding on buying DR equipment. In this process, we’ll clarify misconceptions about DR equipment and talk about how convenient upgrading to DR can be.
1) Do You Need the Upgrade?
There are plenty of advantages to using DR equipment, the most important of which is the higher imaging efficiency. DR equipment produces and renders images within seconds, which makes it ideal for high patient volume medical facilities. You can X-ray a lot more patients with DR equipment as compared to conventional imaging and improve workflow efficiency.
The increase in efficiency offered by DR systems can be a great trade-off when considering the cost of DR.
2) The Space Requirements for DR Equipment
DR imaging has fewer moving parts than CR or other radiography equipment. You can fit DR panels onto your existing infrastructure and it doesn’t need any new architectural changes or funds to make said architectural changes. All things considered, upgrading to DR is much more convenient than many people think.
3) How Well Does DR Accommodate patients with Extraordinary Physical Characteristics?
DR equipment allows doctors to screen any type of patient. Whether you have specialist practice or if you work in a general healthcare facility, DR equipment comes in all shapes and sizes to accommodate your patients.
With the variety of dimensions of DR equipment, you can easily screen pediatric patients or even obese patients scheduled for bariatric surgery with it.
4) Does Your Vendor Offer Tech Support?
DR panels require careful handling because these panels are sensitive pieces of machinery. Even the slightest mishandling can break the panels or make them malfunction.
Your vendors should always be available to offer technical support and resolve any problems with the equipment; this extends product life without requiring regular replacements.
5) Is Budget Really a Concern?
The budget is the most critical concern for all hospital/healthcare facility administrators. Brand new DR equipment can be pretty expensive, where a new digital X-Ray unit costs up to $140,000. Many healthcare administrators get caught up in the costs of new equipment when it’s completely possible to retrofit DR panels onto existing machinery.
Since DR panels can be attached X-ray machines, you can retrofit DR at less than $40,000 with the same performance as new units.
If you’re looking for state of the art digital radiography equipment and digital X-ray for imaging centers, get in touch with us at ExamVue. We have been providing top quality diagnostic imaging solutions and equipment for nearly 4 decades.