There are many considerations when it comes to purchasing a digital x-ray system for your practice such as what kind of table you will need, whether to purchase a new or used system, and what type of DR panel is best suited to your needs. There are also financial options to consider, such as whether or not to finance or lease the machine. Let’s explore some of these options in more detail.
Medical Imaging Resources
When it comes to x-ray rooms, compliance is key. The good news is that by following a few simple steps, you too can create a workable and compliant x-ray room for your practice.
Whether you are looking to upgrade your existing x-ray system or purchase a complete digital x-ray room, there are a lot of things that you will want to consider in order to make the right decision on what digital x-ray system is best for your chiropractic practice. It can be overwhelming, especially since x-ray is such an important part of a Chiropractic office and also a significant investment.
For more in-depth information, download our comprehensive Chiropractic Buyer's Guide that explores in detail the different types of digital x-ray systems for Chiropractors. Or feel free to contact our helpful experts at Maven Imaging with any questions you may have.
In this post we’ll cover:
This article will cover how to install a 14 x 17 DR panel into a Chiropractic X-ray room.
It's crucial for chiropractors to utilize the suite of tools available to them to provide their patients with the best treatment. Chiropractors are trained in radiology and radiography as part of their education and radiographic imaging (x-ray) is an essential part of diagnosis and treatment of spine and postural issues. X-ray can be used by chiropractors either in a chiropractic office or through referral and helps eliminate guesswork by allowing chiropractors to understand the true alignment of the spine and plan treatment accordingly.
Benefits of x-ray for chiropractors
A range of different pains, functional impairments and muscle weaknesses can be alleviated with chiropractic realignment of the spine. These impairments may be due to stresses and strains on the various components of the spine including bones, muscles, ligaments, and discs.
Contemporary chiropractic approaches to spinal rehabilitation that use x-ray imaging have demonstrated superiority over other treatments. Alternate diagnostic methods are often indirect and don’t reveal the true source of the patient’s pain or discomfort. This could result in misdiagnosis, inappropriate treatment and a detrimental outcome for the patient.
Radiography reveals the true condition of the spine and has the ability to show chiropractors exactly what is happening inside the body in terms of skeletal structure and alignment. This remarkable imaging technique provides guidance to the chiropractor for how to manually manipulate the skeletal components. Not only does x-ray provide detailed images of the skeletal system, it can also show the presence of scar tissue or arthritis. Both of these conditions require consideration when developing a treatment plan.
Chiropractic uses of x-ray
Chiropractors can use x-ray for a range of purposes including:
There is a lot of debate in the chiropractic world about buying new vs. used digital x-ray machines. Many chiropractors will search for used digital x-ray systems as a way to minimize the cost of going digital. For some, this can be a great cost saving exercise and work out in their favor. However, many others end up having buyer's remorse with buying used digital x-ray machines or just used x-ray machines in general, as it's a gamble and there are no guarantees. In this blog post, we'll look at some things to consider before deciding which way to go with your purchase.
The decision to install a new x-ray room or retrofit an existing one can be difficult. There are many variables that go into the decision, and it's not always clear which is the best option for your facility. In this blog post, we will explore the pros and cons of installing a new x-ray room so you can make an informed choice about what to do with your facilities.
Once you have taken the x-ray, the next question is how you will view them. Most chiropractic offices will have a designated Report of Findings (ROF) room, where they will have a dedicated computer and monitor to show the images to their patients. The monitor can be a traditional computer monitor, or some of our customers will use a TV connected to a computer to display the images in large format. In order to view images in multiple rooms, you want to ensure that the system that you purchase will have either a cloud or web-based viewer or a desktop application viewer that can be installed in other rooms to be able to view the images in multiple rooms, as some packages do not include this.
A viewer is just one part of the puzzle. We discussed previously that a PACS system is what you will need to store the images. In most cases, it is this PACS system that is used as the central database for your viewer in other rooms to access and view those images. We are going to now discuss some of the key elements in how to view digital x-rays:
Types of DR Digital Panels
A DR panel stands for Direct Radiography and is the technology that allows you to capture a digital x-ray. DR panels have come a long way in the past 15 years and now come in a variety of sizes, but for the most part, they are cassette-sized. This means that a traditional x-ray system that can use film-based cassettes can now easily be retrofitted with a cassette-sized flat-panel DR system.
Here are some different options currently available with DR panels:
