As a general practitioner, you’re generally the first person a patient sees when something goes wrong. This places the burden of versatility on your shoulders. Yes, you may ultimately end up referring them to a specialist, but you need the mindset and technology to help determine whether or not that call needs to be made. This is part of why medical imaging advancements have become so important in recent times. Here are some additions you may want to consider making.

One great place to start is utilizing digital x-rays. Many general practices may want to include x-rays as a part of their suite of services without having to rely on outside medical imaging centers. However, it was considered not to be feasible. Until now. Cutting down on the radiation makes it easier to use these in different settings, and it’s also possible to develop images in a fraction of the time.

Another thing worth noting is that machine learning is beginning to steadily creep into general practice settings, medical imaging included. In theory, we could be looking at a near future where AI assistants are helping general practitioners look at the images they capture to potentially gauge health issues. We’re already seeing it come to use with some of the logistical sides of running a practice (scheduling appointments, etc.), so it may be closer than you think.

Medical imaging is an essential part of modern healthcare, whether you have the machinery set up in your practice or decide to work with a medical imaging center. In order to make sure you are providing the most accurate images as well as working at peak efficiency, be sure to work with partners like JPI Healthcare Solutions to buy new equipment as well as get support for your existing equipment.