Challenge: More imaging information, where it’s needed
With some of its technology as old as 25 years, it was clear to US Signature HealthCare that it was time for some changes. “The equipment needed to be upgraded and replaced,” explained Susan Boulanger, director of imaging services. “At the same time, we wanted to put some additional tools into the hands of the people making time-sensitive clinical decisions. I was eager to add digital mobile solutions in the emergency room so that the image could come up on the screen instantly, to enable the team to work quickly on the patient without having to wait.”
Boulanger acknowledged that all this was a tall order. “So we looked at three different models and did demos over a three- to four-month period,” she explained. At the end of that time, she pulled 10 images from each demo system and showed them to different radiologists, asking them to judge on image quality alone. The outcome was not what she had expected: “I thought there would be more similarities between vendors. But all of the radiologists picked the Agfa HealthCare images. The bone work was just stunning!”
Solution: The DX-D 100 & DX-D 600, for mobile and fixed imaging
The solution that had grabbed their attention was the mobile DX-D 100, which offers excellent image quality and handling, with fast imaging that can be validated right away. Like all the DX-D family, it comes with Agfa HealthCare’s gold standard MUSICA image processing.
According to Boulanger, “The images aren’t just superior for a mobile solution, they are simply superior. So when our most recent off-site location opened up we also purchased a fixed room – the DX-D 600, with Full Leg Full Spine (FLFS) capabilities.” The DX-D 600 is Agfa HealthCare’s high productivity, state-of-the-art DR solution.
Benefits: Enhanced patient care, workflow, efficiency and workload management
The investments have paid dividends for the hospital, Boulanger highlighted. “The DX-D 100 has made a significant impact on our ability to care for critically ill patients. It allows physicians to make minor or even major changes immediately because the images are available instantly. And the DX-D 600 lets users spend more time with the patient, since they can do all of their work in the room: worklists, protocols, and so on.”
The speed of the DX-D 600 has enhanced not only patient care, but also efficiency. “Before, by the time the radiologist was reading the image, the physician would already be waiting to decide how to care for the patient. Now they can see that image within 20 seconds.”
The flexibility of the solution offers additional benefits: “Our radiologists are often shared between different locations. With superior quality images available to any radiologist at any location, we can manage workload more effectively and even out any peaks and troughs.”
The relationship between US Signature HealthCare and Agfa HealthCare looks set to be long and fruitful. “The service has been fabulous, the installation process has been easy to manage and, based on the image quality alone, installing more Agfa HealthCare solutions makes sense,” concluded Boulanger.
April 01, 2024 
