There Are Still Doctors Doing House Calls

The advancement of technology has aided radio imaging technology become mobile and it possible these days for patients to rest at home and have all their x-rays done with the help of portable x-ray machines. These machines are so sleek that they may even be transported up a flight of stairs. Once the x-ray images are obtained and processed immediately, they are ready to be sent through wireless gadgets to the concerned doctor or radiologist, to get their opinion. Unlike in the past, the doctor or radiologist can easily access the images through a laptop, iPad or a smart phone. The quality of the images have also improved tremendously in comparison to the past. Though obtaining x-rays at home may prove more expensive than having it done in at a regular radiology imaging center, the entire procedure may at times prove the former method cheaper. Whereas a normal chest or ankle x-ray would cost $50 if obtained in a regular clinic, the same would cost $350 if the procedure was done at the patient's house. But the ambulance charges may make the whole procedure much more expensive and the same may not be covered by insurance. Especially, after normal working hours, the cost of ambulance and emergency units may even run into a few thousand dollars. Mobile urgent care services located in San Francisco use such mobile services to doctors doing house calls. Usage of these technologies is not restricted to only the elderly people and patients of all ages can utilize the services. Emergency physicians and technicians are employed by this agency. As they are well trained and experienced professionals, these technicians are perfectly capable of handling emergency situations like ankle sprains, broken wrists or any other condition causing orthopedic trauma. As soon as x-ray images are obtained, these physicians or technicians can provide immediate relief to the patient by immobilizing the damaged part using splinting equipments. They can administer the necessary medication or prescribe medicines that can be bought from a drug store. By using such services, the patients can certainly avoid waiting in a crowded clinic. Also, the doctors making such house calls have more time to answer all the questions of the patients. Even after the visit, the house call providing agencies ensure the patients face no further problems by remaining readily available in case of necessity. These house call providing agencies also offer the convenience of using portable ultrasound and EKG machines. The portable version of ultrasound machines has only recently been introduced and they are of a great help. The latest model introduced in the market is an ultrasound device that can be hand held, which can aid visual assessment from anywhere.