A Blog for Healthcare Consumers

We're adding 150 Radiology centers from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Washington DC over the next several days to our site. Please pardon our mess as we upgrade and clean up bugs!

You'll be able to shop and buy your Radiology tests from these facilities. As with our other Radiology facilities each is accredited by the ACR, features American Board of Radiology certified Radiologists and has undergone a rigorous selection process.

We're adding 70 Radiology centers from Arkansas, Alabama, and Alaska over the next couple of days to our site. Please pardon our mess as we upgrade and clean up bugs!

You'll be able to shop and buy your Radiology tests from these facilities. As with our California, Florida and New York centers, each is accredited by the ACR, features American Board of Radiology certified Radiologists and has undergone a rigorous selection process.

Open MRI machines represent about 25% of the the total number of MRI machines installed in the U.S. Over the last several years, open MRI technology has rapidly advanced and newer open MRI machines are capable of capturing the same high resolution pictures as their closed (tube) counterparts.

Claustrophobia, children, and overweight patients

You might first discover that you're claustrophobic when getting a scan on a closed MRI. Closed MRI scanners have a tube shaped like a long donut. For most scans, your entire body will be inside the tube, with the top of the tube close to your face and your shoulders brushing its sides.

Open MRI has addressed some of these claustrophobia inducing characteristics. Some models feature a tube with a "flared" opening, like a trumpet, giving you the sense of space. In others, the sides of the tube have been "cut away" letting you see off to the side.

Open MRI has been a boon for imaging children. Many centers create a comforting environment with soft lights, music, wall hangings and a chair or bench in the scan room for family members. Open MRI scanners are much quieter than their closed counterparts, and allow both parent and child to make eye contact. 

Open MRI has given overweight patients access to high tech imaging. Open MRI scanners have a wider opening and their table weight limits are substantially higher than those of closed MRI machines. With a wider opening, positioning overweight patients into the scanner is much easier which can improve image quality.

Finding an open MRI scanner

When given the choice, consumers choose open MRI scanners over closed MRIs. So how do you find an open MRI scanner? Although you may not get comprehensive information about each facility, Google is a great resource.  Search for "open MRI" and add your local area/town/state to the search term.

Once you find a local center, here are a few tips on what to look for:

• Open MRI scanner is less than 5 years old
  
• The scanner has a field strength greater that 0.3T
• Board certified Radiologist reads your scan
  
• Certified MR technologist does your scan
  
• The facility is ACR accredited

How did you find your local open MRI scan center? What was your experience like? Leave your comments below.

An CT scan can be used to image nearly every part of the body. CTs are very good at evaluating internal organs such as the liver, kidneys, pancreas and brain. They are also used to generate 3 dimensional images of bones such as the spine, ankle, and wrist. These 3D images assist in treatment and surgical planning.

CT is a relatively new technology that has rapidly advanced along with computing power. There are tens millions of CT scans done every year. Here are some commonly ordered CT scans and the sort of disease they are tailored to look for:

• CT Liver -- tumors, cysts, and cirrhosis of the liver
  
• CT Spine --degnerative disease (arthritis), fractures, bone tumors
  
• CT Brain -- stroke, tumors, bleeds, skull fractures
• CT Kidneys -- kidney stones, tumors, cysts, blockage (hydronephrosis)

What to do before your CT scan:

It helps to be prepared in advance of your appointment time. You will need to get a Radiology referral or prescription from your doctor. Check to make sure the facility you choose takes your insurance plan and your plan has authorized the CT. Get preparation instructions from the facility’s staff in advance. Many CT scans require dye/contrast.  Let the facility know if you have any kidney problems, allergies or are on medication. Although you should follow your doctor’s advice, you can choose a local imaging center to perform your CT test. Our Radiology Shopping tool will help you find a Radiology center, look up prices, and learn more about your local imaging services (if you don’t find an imaging center in your area, please let us know).

What to expect during and after your CT scan:

• The CT scan appointment may take up to 1 hour. Plan accordingly.
• Many CT scan tests will require a dye/contrast injection. An IV is placed and the dye is injected while the scanner takes pictures.
• An CT scan uses radiation, so you will be alone in the CT scan room.
• You may need to take a film or CD copy of your CT scan to your doctor.
• A physician Radiologist will interpret the CT. A report is sent to your doctor.

A recent New York Times article correctly pointed out that not all MRI scanners are alike. So how do you, as a healthcare consumer, shop for the best scanner in your area? Although there are many factors to consider, here are a few key questions you should ask:

1. What is the magnetic field strength? Field strength varies from 0.25T to 3.0T. Larger numbers mean the MRI scanner is more "powerful" and can generate higher resolution images. The majority of scanners are 1.5T. If you're claustrophobic, you might need to go to an "open mri". The field strength for these machines varies from 0.2T to 1.0T.

2. Does the machine undergo regular maintenance? If the MRI scanner has a 1.5T field strength but the computers that interpret the data have old software, then the images may not be optimized to give the Radiologist who reads the scan the best images. MRI machines need to be updated and require maintentance and testing to remain accurate.

3. Is the technologist trained? This is also a critical part of the quality equation. If the technologist operating the machine has limited experience then the MRI scan image quality will suffer. Be sure that the center has a registered and certified MR technologist on staff who is familiar with the MRI machine.

4. Who is reading the MRI scan? A board certified Radiologist has spent over 4 years in training learning how to read medical imaging tests such as MRI. Many also subspecialize in areas like Musculoskeletal or Brain and Spine imaging. You should ask the front office staff about the Radiologist's credentials.

5. Is the center ACR certified? The ACR (American College of Radiology) has a certification program that tests the quality of the images generated by MRI scanners. Many insurance companies now require their Radiology centers to be ACR certified. Certified centers are allowed to display the ACR seal.

Of course, you can use our website to help you find the right MRI scan center for you.

Do you have any other tips? What factors did you consider when choosing a local MRI center? Please leave your comments below:

If you’re insured, your insurance plan has a list of Radiology centers that are contracted to provide medical imaging services. Unfortunately, these can be hard to get and insurance plan lists are usually outdated. Your doctor’s office will generally know which local Radiology centers or hospitals accept which insurance plans. But this can be hard for a doctor’s office to keep track since there are so many different plans! Your chosen Radiology facility should ask for your insurance plan info in advance and ensure that it is contracted to do the MRI test. You can also do a quick look up using our Radiology Search tool (if you can’t find a facility near you, please let us know!).

What should I look for when choosing a Radiology center?

Depending on what you consider convenient, you’ll probably want to know about the Radiology center’s office hours, accepted insurance plans, and parking. A comfortable lobby, private check in, and easy access to restrooms are also some “features” to look for in a Radiology center. Helpful staff, feedback forms, and friendly technicians (who operate the machines) are a must. Not surprisingly, most people seem to rate their medical experiences based on these “customer service” factors.

Also look for ACR accreditation.  The American College of Radiology (ACR) has a review process that checks qualifications and image quality of the Radiology facility. Once accredited, facilities can display the ACR seal.  Check out Quest Imaging of Bakersfield, CA for sample ACR seals.

Not all Radiology facilities have the equipment to do every type of MRI, so be sure to ask if their machine can do your particular MRI test.

What is my doctor looking for in a Radiology center?

I’ve found that doctors like (in no particular order):

• Quick report turnaround
• Flexible scheduling for their patients
• Be able to reach the interpreting physician Radiologist
• Facility features state-of-the-art equipment
• Online access to Radiology images
• Copy of images on a CD or film
  
• Reasonable cash prices for their uninsured patients.