Every time you go to a doctor with pain symptoms or an injury, chances are, your doctor will request that you undergo diagnostic testing. More than 13 billion diagnostic tests are performed every year in the United States. Diagnostic tests are used to confirm or rule out conditions and diseases.
Before creating a treatment plan, your doctor needs critical information for a correct diagnosis, which a diagnostic test can provide. So, what is considered diagnostic testing?
Diagnostic Testing
There are over 110 diagnostic tests and procedures currently in use. They are either used in detecting disease and for monitoring its progression. Moreover, diagnostic tools and equipment are also used in guiding treatment and evaluating its effectiveness.
Diagnostic tests are either invasive and non-invasive. Invasive diagnostic testing involves puncturing the skin or entering the body. Examples are taking a blood sample, biopsies, and colonoscopies. Non-invasive diagnostic testing does not involve making a break in the skin.
Diagnostic imaging procedures are prime examples of non-invasive diagnostic testing procedures. Non-invasive diagnostic testing usually involves the use of highly advanced diagnostic equipment that create images of organs, soft tissues, and bones inside the body without having to make an incision. Non-invasive diagnostic testing tools are often used to determine if more invasive procedures are needed to make a diagnosis.
Image-Guided Diagnostic Testing Procedures
Here are just a few of the most commonly used image-guided diagnostic testing procedures. Depending on your symptoms and doctor recommendations, any of these diagnostic tests could be useful to you:
X-Rays
Radiography or X-ray uses radiation and radio waves to create images of the bones and organs. X-ray was the very first diagnostic imaging tool used and is still the most widely used non-invasive diagnostic procedure today. For broken bones and chest obstructions, X-rays are usually the first requested medical imaging procedure.
MRI
A highly advanced diagnostic imaging procedure that creates images of the inner structures of the body without the use of radiation is Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). MRI uses a powerful magnet and radio waves to produce highly detailed images of what’s inside the body.
Ultrasound
An ultrasound uses sound waves, a transducer, and a computer to create images of the internal organs. It is most well-known as a tool used by obstetricians, but it has more applications than that. It is also used in treatment, particularly ultrasound-guided treatments for pain.
Mammography
Mammography is used as a screening and diagnostic tool for women to detect abnormal growths in the breast. With the digitization of mammography, radiation exposure is cut down to very low dosages.
Diagnostic Testing in Palm Beach County, Florida
Independent Imaging has ACR-accredited diagnostic testing facilities, where we make the best and most advanced diagnostic testing procedures available to you. We believe in delivering patient-centered care and place your comfort and convenience above everything else.
Our compassionate team of radiologists and assistants have a gentle and caring manner because we know how anxiety-inducing undergoing a diagnostic procedure can be.
If you have any questions about our imaging services, call Independent Imaging at (561) 795-5558 or request an appointment now. We welcome you to our Belle Glade, Wellington, Lake Worth, and Royal Palm Beach facilities!
