SPECT Replacement Enables Efficiency

Boice-Willis Clinic, a primary care and multi-specialty practice with seven locations in North Carolina, USA, replaced two aging SPECT scanners with one Siemens Symbia Evo™ Excel* SPECT system. Edward O’Neal, MHA, RT(R)(CT), Imaging Manager, and Candie Wachowicz, RT(R)(N), Nuclear Medicine Technologist, give their perspective and describe what key elements were critical in the decision process.

 

By Rhett Morici, Molecular Imaging Business Line, Siemens Healthcare

Define Your Needs

Identify which capabilities will best address your exam mix now and support growth in the future.

define your needs

Edward O’Neal: Prior to Symbia Evo Excel, we used two older systems from a different vendor. One scanner was installed in 1997, and the other was installed in 2002. When both hit their end of service life, it limited what we could accomplish. For example, if we wanted to add new procedures, it was very costly to do so.

Edward O’Neal: Our mix is comprised of about 80 percent cardiology, 10 percent GI, five percent oncology, and five percent in thyroid and endocrinology types of imaging.

Edward O’Neal: Iterative reconstruction was a must-have. Our cardiologists have used systems with iterative reconstruction at other hospitals, so that was especially an interest for them, and we made sure to get it. Increased weight limit on the patient bed was another must-have. Our older cameras had a 350-pound weight limit, so we looked for options that could accommodate more bariatric patients. Our patient base was limited due to size. The size of the scanner was another criterion. We are located on the fourth floor in our building, and we have limited available space. Getting the system into place, in our limited space, was important. The small footprint was definitely a benefit.

Engage a Few Vendors

Determine which provider can meet or exceed your needs for the best price without compromising quality

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Edward O’Neal: It helps out a great deal, absolutely. Patients feel like we have state-of-the-art equipment and that they are receiving a high level of care. Likewise, when physicians visit us, and see that we have newer equipment, they know we invest resources to help them offer better services to their patients and provide them with the best possible results.

Talk to Users, Including Technologist

Learn about their experience with the system from both an administrative perspective and in clinical routine

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Edward O’Neal: In addition to our interest in iterative reconstruction and the table weight limit, we looked at system reputation and talked with references about their experiences. We also looked into aspects such as camera life, how long has it been in service, service contracts and the cost of those contracts. One important aspect of Siemens’ service contract was non-obsolescence.

Edward O’Neal: We are a primary care and multi-specialty practice representing 13 clinical specialties including cardiology and oncology. We want the ability and option to grow into different areas, and we want equipment that will enable us to do so.

Evaluate Vendor Reputation

Confirm equipment and service performance are equally strong

checks

Candie Wachowicz: I went to the Siemens training and development center in Cary, North Carolina, USA, for training. Once we started using the system at our department, the following week, an apps specialist visited us onsite to train our other technologists. He went through the basics, such as patient handling, and helped set up and customize our protocols.

Edward O’Neal: Look at the reputation of the company and the service history. If a piece of equipment is good, but the service isn’t good, then you could have a problem.

Boice Willis Experience with the Symbia Evo Excel

We believe that we made a very informed decision with this system, and so far, it has met all of our expectations.

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Edward O’Neal: Yes. When we went with Symbia Evo Excel, we added, for example,123 I uptake imaging scans without purchasing any additional hardware or software. Boice-Willis Clinic has built a growing endocrinology practice, so we wanted to offer our patients inhouse thyroid imaging.

Edward O’Neal: We are able to complete cardiac and bone scans much quicker. These account for about 85 percent of our work. We are also in the process of investigating additional types of exams, but have not reached any conclusions yet. Overall, the ability to grow into different practice areas, as well as the previously mentioned options that came with the system, are the biggest benefits for us.

Candie Wachowicz: We are routinely doing 10-13 heart scans per day, with three additional studies such as gastrointestinal (GI), thyroid or hepatobiliary (HIDA) on this one scanner. Our patient volume has increased since installing the new system.  

Edward O’Neal: In the past, we averaged about six cardiac patients per day, with two additional other studies per day. Overall, though, across the entire clinic, patient volume is up. Last month, for instance, between our cardiac and our routine nuclear medicine scans, we did 200 procedures, which is about 50 procedures more than we normally do.

Edward O’Neal: Not on one camera alone. The iterative reconstruction helps to reduce imaging times.

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