Mobile Radiology: Accessible to All in the Future
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La versión española de este post se puede leer aquí.
We know that technology can work miracles, but does it really matter when such technology is only available to a few, and not all?
In relation to today’s world, Roentgen certainly could not have imagined that capturing X-rays would contribute to the birth of one of the most important inventions in radiology.
The most useful of medical specialties.
Today, medical students worldwide are taught to provide a majority of their patients with a radiological examination because of how critical a role the images play in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The unfortunate reality is that many patients live in rural areas, far away from hospitals or imaging clinics where they can receive such exams.
Therefore, it is important to develop and scale mobile digital diagnostic equipment to ensure accessibility for people living in rural, isolated or under-developed geographic areas.
Development is to provide care to the majority of the population.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 2/3 of the world population has no access to radiological tests. Today, one of the primary goals of WHO is to ensure accessibility, because any acute pathology requires emergency radiographs.
It is necessary to leave the hospital environment and bring radiology to where the patient is located. For example, portable digital detectors, apart from being mobile, have low power consumption, and are provided with a longer range. Being digital allows for the capability of sending the image to be viewed by other doctors for a second diagnosis.
Equipment capable of cruising the world’s environments to meet the patients.
A portable X-ray detector can bring medical technology to unimaginable places and thereby bring care to impervious areas of the world for use in various humanitarian missions. The issue of time is important in medical imaging, and early diagnosis makes a difference in fractures or in detecting metallic foreign bodies caused by external trauma. This method of radiology gives access to faster information and delivers it with a speed that is often not available.
The use of mobile and transportable radiology systems has not only proven useful in military and humanitarian missions, but also in expeditions and athletics. In his quest across the Antarctic, Ranulph Fiennes’s team brought a portable scanner, and the technology is also used in professional sports to diagnose player injuries quickly.
Mobile and transportable systems have also expanded into public hospitals with X-ray rooms, because this equipment becomes necessary when a patient cannot be transported safely to the room due to illness, possible infection or because of a patient quarantine.
The technology, as it is used more often, is proving to be a success in radiology field. Radiologists believe in the efficiency of the technology, and by improving efficiency without compromising image quality, imaging professionals can be sure they are providing the best care to the patients.
Rafael Fernández Navarro is the Iberia X-ray Solutions Business Manager & Iberia Service Sales Specialist for Carestream
