How do I ensure that my medical imaging examination is a quality examination?
Medical imaging, while being increasingly utilized across all fields of medicine, has also grown in sophistication and complexity. Your medical imaging examination, which may include MRI, CT, ultrasound and X-Ray studies, should be interpreted by a radiologist who is specially trained in the interpretation of medical imaging examinations. Furthermore, this physician should be board certified. This means that the physician has passed examinations given by the American Board of Radiology to ensure competency. In addition, you may wish to have your examination interpreted by a radiologist who has further sub-specialty training. These radiologists have not only passed board certification, but have done additional fellowship training in sub-specialty areas of radiology, such as Neuroradiology, Body Imaging, or Orthopedic/Musculoskeletal radiology. Next Generation Radiology offers board certified radiologists in all these fields, backed by our nation's finest subspecialty academic radiologists of world renowned University centers.
Your examination should be not only interpreted by a radiologist but should be performed under the supervision of a radiologist. This can ensure that proper, appropriate imaging occurs with the least discomfort and risk to the patient.
Ask questions of the radiologist or technologist regarding the quality of equipment. The quality of the technology is often quite difficult for patients to gauge. However, radiology equipment should be inspected by the state yearly, and it is important to ask if the imaging units are state of the art, with up to date software and hardware.
How long will it take to get the results of medical examination?
Most radiology studies should be interpreted and reported to the ordering physician in approximately 24 hours or on weekends by the following work day. Results of emergency studies will always be directly communicated to the ordering physician as soon as possible to expedite appropriate follow-up care.
Will my examination be painful?
The modern technology of medical imaging has made the vast majority of medical imaging studies now non-invasive. This means that little or no discomfort is experienced by the patient. Many studies do require an intravenous injection by a small needle similar to that which draws blood. Some of the oral agents used may cause some mild stomach discomfort including diarrhea or constipation. It is important that before any examination, you have all of your questions regarding that study answered by the appropriate technologist and or radiologist. Allergic reactions to contrast agents do occur. They are rare and usually mild. Serious reactions are quite rare.
Why are these examinations so costly?
Today's medical imaging requires very sophisticated hardware and software, as well as, costly materials and film. As an example, CT and MR units can be as costly as 1 million U.S. dollars each! Iodinated contrast materials, MR contrast agents, and the sophisticated x-ray films used are also quite costly.