United Medical Instruments - Diagnostic Ultrasound Blog!

There are more people present and living longer than in the past.  For sonographic professionals this means a range of patient services are needed to meet the health demands of the population.  
Diagnostic ultrasound covers a range of clinical applications including:

• Primary Care
• Echocardiography
• Vascular
• OB/GYN
• Pain Management

For physicians considering ways to diversify patient services, ultrasound is an excellent diagnostic tool to improve patient care. Many options for ultrasound machines are available, meeting budgetary requirements.  The cost of an ultrasound machine may be less expensive than you thought.  Choices are available for cart-based or portable ultrasound machines, allowing for practice flexibility.

Below are 10 reasons to include diagnostic ultrasound in your practice:

 

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Advances in ultrasound machines have expanded in the years to now rival image quality of more expensive imaging modalities such as MRI and CT, yet at the fraction of the price and yielding real time results for improved patient care.

With a growing aged population and pressure to provide improved patient services, in-office diagnostic ultrasound exams continue to grow.  From portable ultrasound machines to cart-based, and with a price range for every budget - whether a new or refurbished ultrasound machine, if you're looking to improve patient care, it's time to investigate your options.  The clinical applications are vast, enabling physicians to grow their practices.  Some of the popular areas for ultrasound are:

• Breast Imaging
• Cardiology
• Endocrinology
• Family Practice
• MSK/Pain Management/ Orthopedic
• Nephrology
• OB/GYN
• Phlebology
• Podiatry
• Urology
• Vascular

Below are some basic tips to justifying the cost of an ultrasound machine purchase for your practice:

 

Topics: portable ultrasound machine, Diagnostic Ultrasound, portable ultrasound system, compact ultrasound system, Used Ultrasound Machine, pain management ultrasound

Topics: portable ultrasound machine, Diagnostic Ultrasound, Vein Care, ob/gyn ultrasound, laptop ultrasound machine, portable ultrasound system, compact ultrasound system, Used Ultrasound Machine, pain management ultrasound

Fly Thru Technology from Toshiba is innovative and forward-thinking, combining other imaging technologies found on larger and more expensive modalities.   According to a press release from Toshiba America, it is described as follows:

 

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As the industry for compact ultrasound systems continues to grow, physicians who want to purchase their first ultrasound or trade out a bulky cart-based unit for a laptop sized one, have plenty of options.  Although buying new has its rewards, such as a 5 year warranty from SonoSite, this is a recession after all, and many people, physicians included, are on a budget.  According to imaging trend watcher Harvey Klein, PhD, with Klein Biomedical Consultants, "The compact ultrasound market continues to be the largest segment of the overall ultrasound market in the U.S."  Just like buying a used car, there are risks, but here are 4 tips to buying refurbished or used ultrasound equipment to help you mitigate potential issues during your buying process:

1. Commitment to Quality

What is their process for repair and warranty work?  What is their process for refurbishing the ultrasound equipment? Whether it's just an additional transducer you need or a fully loaded laptop ultrasound system, do they just paint the nicks and send it out the door or is there a comprehensive checklist including safety points that are reviewed?

2. Scope of Resources

How many people work at the company, is it a broker working from his house?  Or will you receive post sale support in the form of onsite training, continued lifetime online training for new staff?  Do they repair the equipment in-house or source it to another company?

3. Price

This is a tricky area and one where you need to make SURE you are comparing apples to apples, not an apple to a grape.  If it seems too good to be true, guess what?  It is!  Make sure you have a quote that details which features are enabled on the system you are going to purchase and that if you have requested a linear transducer for vascular access you are looking at two identical descriptions - there are multiple linear probes from SonoSite for example and they are different.

4. References/Reputation/Relationships

This is either an area you can start with, asking colleagues for references, or end with.... check the website, are there testimonials from past customers?  Can you talk with a customer about their experience?  Online resources such as Dotmed.com post feedback about resellers, be educated about who you are working with.

Get on board and join the millions of physicians who are using portable ultrasound for applications ranging from vascular to MSK to Family Practice.

Get the facts today about buying used or refurbished ultrasound machines - download our Guide today!
 

 

Topics: portable ultrasound machine, Diagnostic Ultrasound, laptop ultrasound machine, portable ultrasound system, compact ultrasound system, Used Ultrasound Machine