Sensible Solutions for Refurbished Radiology

Its a digital (detector) world! In a few years the word analog will be ancient history. We are beginning to see digital detectors on just about every imaging system from Mammography to C-Arms to X-Ray. But it is with X-Ray where the Federal Government is starting to make the strongest push for change. With the passing of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016  the reimbursement rates for Analog X-Ray systems will start to decline starting in 2017. Which begs the question, what are YOU going to do? 

As healthcare facilities continue to try to find ways to cut costs and maintain high quality service, more and more are purchasing used and refurbished medical imaging devices.  And more and more of them are looking at used and refurbished ultrasound equipment, versus MRI and nuclear imaging devices. That’s no surprise, since ultrasound is used in more than 900 million exams each year, including uses in obstetrics, cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, neurology, gynecology and more. Ultrasound technology is also less expensive, as a rule, and doesn’t require ionizing radiation.  It’s also not invasive, which makes it more popular.

So it’s time to purchase a Digital Rad Room for your practice, hospital or clinic.  And you’re looking at a used or refurbished solution.  Good for you!  But before you whip out that checkbook, there are a few important considerations and questions to ask.  After all, you want to make sure you’re getting exactly what you want and need.

We’ve all heard the nightmare stories on the news.  A patient goes into surgery to have his or her left knee replacement surgery and instead, the right knee gets replaced.  Or a patient has a punctured left lung, but the surgeon mistakenly inserted a chest tube on the right side instead.  So how does this happen?

Delivering Better Outcomes By Using Quantitative Imaging Analytics

We are now living in a digital age. It’s an era of decisions and outcomes driven by data and analytics. This insight into the numbers and trends that influence everything we do has become a critical success factor in every industry around the world. For professionals working in the world of healthcare, it has become an invaluable tool for helping not just individual patients but entire populations live healthier lives and reach positive outcomes. Big data has also become a catalyst for improving workflow and the very procedures that are essential to the entire healthcare industry.

It’s no secret that healthcare in America is changing rapidly. And one of the innovations in medical imaging today is portable X-ray services.

In the constantly evolving world of healthcare and medical imaging, what’s new today could be in need of an upgrade tomorrow. It’s a challenge many hospitals and radiology offices face as they attempt to keep up with advancing technology. It’s also a primary consideration when hospitals and clinics decide to replace or update their existing equipment. When budgets are tight, many administrators must carefully decide whether the current equipment is negatively affecting patient outcomes or preventing the staff from making accurate diagnoses. It is a far too common assessment that can lead to older pieces of equipment remaining in use because they meet the minimum requirements.

Any clinic, hospital or practice providing imaging studies knows that times are changing, when it comes to reimbursement. It all started when The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016, was voted into law in 2015 and affect payments for imaging studies in 2018.

It’s been all over the news: Toshiba has admitted it overstated profit by more than ¥150 billion in the past seven years and is now looking for buyers in order to stem its downward spiral. While wanting to keep its mainstay memory-chip and nuclear power businesses, Toshiba plans to dump its medical imaging division and lay off nearly 7,000 workers.

Since 1993, Atlantis Worldwide has been selling the full gambit of used medical imaging equipment and during that time, we’ve heard and seen it all. Of course, we love it when a potential buyer calls us and knows exactly what they are looking for.  Or at least they think they do. But oftentimes we have to burst their bubble and let them know the downside (or pitfalls) to their choice. For example, many times clients think they want to buy a portable X-ray system when actually a stationery system will fit their needs better.  Sure, a portable system is more affordable.  It’s also a great solution for facilities without much space. But portable systems were designed specifically for bedside procedures and for use during surgery. They were not designed for every day use.