Improving Doctor-Patient Relationships

At its very best, medical technology does more than provide a clear diagnosis. It can help strengthen the doctor-patient relationship.
However, technology is often seen as distancing patients from their doctors, especially when doctors have to refer patients off-site to other medical facilities for diagnostic tests.
Fortunately, the latest in small, high-tech devices allows doctors to have the highest quality of diagnostic equipment right in their own office.
For example, the MiniCAT scanner from Xoran Technologies (www.xorantech.com), a compact, upright CT scanner for the sinuses and ears, gives doctors instant, high-resolution 3-D images as part of the patient's examination.
In the past, patients with sinus and ear problems had to go to hospitals or imaging centers for CT scans taken on conventional (fullbody) CT scanners.
This created delays in diagnosis and treatment, and increased health care costs by requiring patients to make multiple doctor visits and a separate, off-site CT appointment.
The MiniCAT point-of-care CT scanner restores the doctor's control over the diagnostic process and makes things easier for the patient. It reduces bureaucracy, saves time and keeps revenue within the doctor's practice. But most importantly, it strengthens the doctor-patient relationship.
Rather than undergoing a claustrophobic scan while lying in a full-body CT scanner, the patient sits comfortably upright in an open design. The scan takes only 40 seconds (20 seconds for children) and has a significantly lower radiation dose than a scan taken with a full-body scanner.
With the new MiniCAT instant CT, the doctor and patient can sit together and immediately look at the images. The doctor can explain what the images mean and the patient can see the problem.
By expediting the diagnostic process, the doctor can start the patient's treatment plan right away.