If you were pregnant and went to an OB/Gyn who utilized used ultrasound equipment for a transvaginal- or transabdominal examination, would you be concerned about the quality of care you are being provided? This is not a question many women are concerned with because most are not aware that the equipment being employed for their scans may be used. However, with the proliferation of used ultrasound equipment, some concerns have been raised by a few.
Just as not all new equipment is equal one to another, neither are all used pieces. Similar to cars and other products that are commonly resold after being exploited to one degree or another, used ultrasound equipment varies in quality regardless of how the machines were kept by the previous owning physician, because not all were equal in manufacturing.
Another reason why not all used ultrasound machines are the same goes directly to the level of reconditioning a reseller can provide. Like car mechanics, not all technicians are of the same quality. Now, a female patient does not have to ask her physician which company remanufactured the ultrasound machine that is about to be used to scan their interior. But it is important to understand that neither the physician nor the reseller would be in business long if they used- or provided inferior equipment.
Are There Health Risks to Using Ultrasound?
Ultrasound imaging, also known as Sonography, is a very safe form of intro-physical viewing as it uses non-ionization radiation that is non-toxic, as opposed to typical x-rays. After years of employment and intense federal government scrutiny, the medical community and public at large have come to understand that there are no risks whatsoever in using ultrasound. Both used- and new equipment- are safe to use.
How Ultrasound works
High frequency sound waves are emitted into the body and bounce back with images that are captured on a monitor for real time viewing, and can be printed or stored digitally on a disk or hard drive. Most have seen two-dimensional ultrasound pictures of babies in development, but now, advances in technology provide for both 3-D images, and 4-D images (think video instead of a still photo). Used equipment must provide the same quality viewing for it to be of any use and provide the quality of care expected and demanded by both patients and state medical boards.
Keeping Medical Costs Down
Why do people buy used products? To save money without giving up quality. This is the same for those physicians who employ used ultrasound equipment in their practices. Health care costs continue ascending, so every dime a doctor can save on behalf of their patient helps. Additionally, running the practice as a business is incredibly expensive, so, being able to save up to 50% off an otherwise new machine without sacrificing quality simply makes good business sense.
So, the benefits for women visiting their doctors who use refurbished ultrasound equipment are great: quality care and saved money without worry of secondary health problems because the machines are non-toxic. For more information on refurbished ultrasound equipment visit Imaging Associates, a refurbished medical equipment provider.
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