Your doctor may recommend an MRI for a number of different reasons. They may want to rule out certain conditions or get images that help them diagnose a range of conditions, but regardless of why your healthcare team has suggested an MRI, a CT scan, or any other type of imaging, you need to choose the best imaging center. While looking for an outpatient imaging facility, keep the following tips in mind.
Look for Affordability
Medical care can be expensive, especially if you have a chronic illness and a high deductible. To keep costs low, look for a diagnostic imaging center that has affordable prices. You can call and ask in advance which prices the center charges for an MRI or any other type of test, but as a general rule of thumb, standalone imaging centers charge less for procedures than hospitals.
While hospitals may have imaging equipment, they don’t use it constantly like imaging centers do. As a result, when hospitals set up their pricing structure, they have to spread the cost of repairs and upgrades over a relatively small number of patients. In contrast, standalone imaging centers can spread the costs over a lot more patients. Additionally, hospitals also use their imaging centers and other departments to cover the losses they incur through their emergency departments. With a standalone imaging center, that doesn’t happen.
Insist on Quality
Of course, price is just one piece you should consider when choosing an imaging center for your MRI. You also need to ensure that the center can offer you the quality you need and deserve. You want top notch images that can really guide your healthcare team as they treat you. You don’t want to go to a center that produces subpar images. On top of that, quality should also extend to how the center treats its patients. You deserve quality patient care.
Search for Quick Results
You want the results to be fast as well. With a lot of conditions including many types of cancers or internal injuries, the sooner you get treatment, the better your prognosis is. To ensure you get the care you need in a timely fashion, you need to choose an MRI imaging center that can generate scans and images relatively quickly.
Ideally, you want a center that can see you quickly. You don’t want to have to wait weeks for imaging. You also need a center that has technology or infrastructure in place to share records or images with your doctor in a timely fashion. When you call the imaging center to make an appointment, you can ask these questions.
Proximity
Finally, you need an imaging center that is reasonably close to you. At American Health Imaging, we have locations throughout Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Texas.
To set up an appointment for an MRI with an imaging center that meets all the criteria listed above, contact us today. At American Health Imaging, we have the equipment, experience, and quality of care you need, but our prices are also affordable.