May 11, 2010

Print this page

Your doctor has just handed you an order for a mammogram, a heart CT or a brain MRI. Now what? While the choice of imaging facilities has never been greater or more convenient, it pays to ask a few questions before picking a site. Duane Mezwa, M.D., corporate chief of Diagnostic Radiology at Beaumont Hospitals, offers the following tips to evaluate imaging facilities:

Availability of Radiologists

Some centers use freelance radiologists who aren't always on-site - sometimes aren't even in the same country - to provide consultation on films they read. Look for a center with radiologists who are available on-site, 24/7/365.

Board-Certified, Fellowship Trained Radiologists

Neither is required to practice in Michigan but both ensure a higher standard of knowledge, especially in subspecialties such as musculoskeletal, pediatrics or neuroradiology. Also look for the credentials of the technologist conducting the exam. Ask if they are registered - meaning they have met certain education and certifying exam requirements - or board-certified in specialty areas such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, mammography and pediatric imaging.

Center of Excellence/Accreditation

Is the facility accredited by a major accrediting body such as the American College of Radiology? Is the site a Center of Excellence? For example, the Beaumont hospitals in Royal Oak and Troy and the Beaumont Medical Centers in Warren and West Bloomfield are Centers of Excellence for mammography, as designated by the American College of Radiology. Centers that have these accreditations and designations ensure a higher standard of care is followed.

Diagnostics on the Spot

If something suspicious is detected at a freestanding facility and a biopsy is indicated, you are sent to the hospital for a biopsy. Skip that step by scheduling your tests at a place that can do both.

Equipment on the Leading Edge

Large health systems, especially those that are major academic and referral centers, tend to have the newest equipment such as Flash CT, open MRI and digital mammography. The newer the equipment, the better and clearer the images will be. Also, newer generation equipment generally has fine tuned the radiation dosage,
meaning less exposure.

Fast, Easy Acess to Results, Prior Tests

If you have imaging done at the hospital where you are treated, those images will be available to your physicians anytime they need them, which is especially important in an emergency situation. If not, you have to bring the images with you or arrange to have them sent.

Greater Choice of Locations

With 13 imaging locations in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, Beaumont radiology services are never more than minutes away from patients' homes. At many Beaumont sites, patients needing a mammogram, general X-ray or CT can obtain the service on a walk-in basis with authorization from their insurance company.
Additionally, the Grosse Pointe, Royal Oak and Troy hospitals and some medical centers have extended hours for imaging. To schedule an appointment, call 800-328-8542.