Was 2016 a good year for you? I guess it depends on what you compare it to.
Every January, Atlantis Worldwide posts a blog suggesting a New Years Resolution for our readers. The topic always relates
In January of 2015, we declared it as the year of the functional C-Arm and urged our readers to take preventative measures to ensure the continued functionality of their C-Arms.
In January of 2016, we declared it the year of technology and urged our readers to consider how upgrades could improve their existing C-Arms.
Which brings us to 2017. What New Year's resolutions can you make to ensure that 2017 is a good year...
Thomas Jefferson was once quoted as saying "knowledge is power, that knowledge is safety, and that knowledge is happiness." Thomas Jefferson was not referring to C-Arms - it was still over 100 years before C-Arms were invented - but here at Atlantis Worldwide, we believe that this statement has strong significance towards C-Arms and all medical imaging equipment.
All the Physicians and X-Ray technicians that we work with have had training with the medical equipment that they use. But do they use the C-Arms in the best possible way to ensure optimal productivity and safety?... Some do not.
If you own a C-Arm (or any medical imaging equipment) and you rely on this system for the success of your medical facility, you should know the functionalities and safety requirements perfectly. The more you know about your C-Arm, the better.
We can't tell you how many times people have thought there were issues with their C-Arms and it turned out that it was a matter of misuse.
We once had a customer that complained about the image quality of their C-Arm. When we visited the site, we found out that the X-Ray technician was pregnant and was putting the system in low dose mode to limit radiation exposure.
Another time we had a customer tell us that their MediCapture Box was broken. After some technical support, we quickly realized that the unit had reached its image capacity and that past images had to be transferred and deleted off the MediCapture box.
These are just a few examples of easily avoidable issues that additional knowledge would have helped them avoid.
So, what is the solution? We suggest that you consider further training for you and your staff on C-Arms. When we sell refurbished C-Arms, we include installation and basic training. We call this buttonology where we provide basic functionality training. In addition, we also use it as a question and answer session for the staff - but I'm sure it isn't uncommon for new questions to present themselves after the initial installation. So why not start 2017 off by scheduling a training session that will help your staff fully understand the functionalities and safety requirements of your C-Arm.
You can combine this with a preventative maintenance appointment and kill two birds with one stone. By doing this, you can optimize not only your investment in the C-Arm but also your investment in your staff.
Another expression that we often hear in life is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." That is not entirely true. C-Arms are great systems that may have capabilities beyond how they are being used. Knowing how to capitalize on every function that your C-Arm offers can only benefit you and your facility in 2017 and long after.
If you are interested in additional training, please contact Alex Silbergleit at (212) 366 9100 or by email at alex@atlantisworldwide.com
About the author: Alex Silbergleit