The use of portable x-ray systems in the U.S. is growing as patients prefer getting medical care in their homes rather than in established healthcare facilities, according to a January 23 article from Reuters.
The article describes how portable x-ray providers are traveling to homes to provide services to patients who either can't or won't visit a hospital or imaging center. Some patients are frail and want to avoid a potentially hazardous trip to a hospital, while others might be wealthy individuals who want to avoid the hassle of going to an emergency room.
One firm is performing studies on more than 30,000 patients a year, with exams costing about $200, the article notes. Images are sent from bedside directly to a radiologist for interpretation.
Despite portable x-ray's rise, there are challenges with the modality. For example, image quality with the portable units is not as good as with x-ray equipment located in hospitals or private radiology offices, Dr. David C. Levin, professor and chairman emeritus of the radiology department at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, told Reuters. Levin said he would not recommend portable x-rays for mobile patients.
