Diagnostic Imaging Blog

Doctors and patients alike have benefited greatly from a recent culture change in healthcare philosophy, where continuity of care is in high demand. Also known as continuum of care, this concept involves the healthcare team building a support group around each patient, to help guide them safely through any and every medical journey they undertake.

Diagnostic imaging refers to just what it sounds like: a variety of imaging tests used to diagnose medical conditions, disorders and diseases. In the broadest sense, they let you look inside the body without having to cut through skin to do so.

Most people have commonly heard of the medical procedure ultrasound relating to pregnancy. Ultrasound imaging generates a live-feed image of the baby growing inside a women’s womb, for the purpose of tracking development and growth, diagnosing prenatal problems, and determining if the baby is a boy or a girl. But did you know that ultrasound technology is used for a variety of other diagnostic or treatment purposes? Healthcare professionals utilize ultrasound to see inside the body and get important diagnostic information about the heart, circulation, the uterus, ovaries, prostate, breasts, and more.

A screening test is a diagnostic imaging test used to find the possible onset of an undiagnosed disease in individuals who don’t experience any signs or symptoms. It is time to end the confusion on breast cancer screenings – you know, a mammogram, the test that most women dread, but, is necessary, for providing some piece of mind, and most importantly, protection and early prevention of breast cancer.

Radiology, the science dealing with X-rays and other high-energy radiation, has been around since the late 19th century.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive technology used to create detailed 3D images of the inside of the human body.

A PET scan (Positron Emission Tomography) can often be combined with a CT scan (Computerized Tomography) to provide better overall imaging for increasingly accurate diagnoses. While these two tests are similar, they show different things – a CT scan shows detailed images of the inside structures of the body; a PET scan shows how the systems of the body are functioning. PET scans are often used to diagnose cancer and heart disease, or to determine how a cancer treatment is working. When used together, a PET/CT scan can provide invaluable information about both the structure and function of a patients anatomy and tissue during a single diagnostic session.

The term CT scan stands for Computerized Tomography scan. It is sometimes called a CAT scan (Computerized Axial Tomography). CT scan uses X-rays and a computer to generate images of the inside of the body that are more detailed, and can give doctors more information than traditional two-dimensional X-rays. You shouldn’t be too alarmed if your doctor wants to do a CT scan, as they have your best interests in mind, and are choosing a diagnostic test that can provide very accurate results. These are some of the reasons why your doctor may order a CT scan.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI, is a diagnostic procedure that although completely non-invasive, gives detailed images of the inside of the body that were never before possible.

If your doctor tells you that you need testing before they can arrive at a diagnosis, it can be nerve wracking. Where do you have to go to get the test? How do you prepare, and what will happen, exactly? And when will your doctor get the results from the imaging center? The diagnostic center can make all the difference in providing optimal care.