What Features Should You Analyze When Shopping for a Mobile X-ray System?

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Helen Titus, Marketing Director, X-ray Solutions, Carestream

The benefits of using a mobile X-ray system are numerous. Because of this, it becomes the responsibility of the radiology team to truly narrow down the specifics of what they are looking for in this technology. What follows is an outline of key features that radiology departments should be looking into when analyzing mobile X-ray systems. By finding the best system possible, radiologists are assured that their processes will be efficient and effective in delivering high quality images, leading to improved healthcare.

Visibility and ease of transportation: With the need to move from room to room, mobile X-ray systems must not block the radiologist’s view when maneuvering the technology. A collapsible column is the perfect feature to provide the technologist with a clear view when steering the system around a facility. Additionally, it should be nearly effortless to transport a mobile X-ray system. Health facilities can be tight quarters, particularly ICU rooms, so the smoother an X-ray system moves, the less strain on the technologist.

Image processing speed and preview: Speed is of the essence in a state of emergency. The mobility of these units provides versatility for the system, and a speedy image processing time can allow technologists and attending physicians to preview and analyze images in a matter of seconds and send them immediately to the radiologist via PACs. This is imperative when working in areas such as the OR, ER, or ICU when time is of the utmost importance.

Reliability and flawless implementation process: A mobile X-ray system needs to be usable and effective at all times. Downtime is unacceptable, but if the unfortunate were to happen, administrators  must be confident in their service providers that the problem can be identified and fixed in a short amount of time. Likewise, the installation and implementation process must be quick. An intuitive mobile X-ray system that allows easy user functionality lets the staff learn about the technology in a short amount time, which means that they are in the ICU, OR, or ER using the system sooner rather than later.

Recently, as a testament to our dedication to creating and providing the best technologies to our customers, the Carestream DRX-Revolution Mobile X-ray System earned the top rating in MD Buyline’s First Quarter 2013 User Satisfaction Report for portable radiographic systems. The report includes user ratings in the following categories: system performance, system reliability, installation/implementation, applications training, service response time and service repair quality.

You can read more details about this announcement via this DRX-Revolution link.