Digital Radiography Upgrade Reduces X-Ray Exam and Image-Processing Time with Potential for Radiation Exposure Reduction

Digital X-ray images captured with a digital radiography (DR) retrofit technology are automatically available for review and incorporated within the patient’s electronic health record (EHR).

Monongalia General Hospital (Morgantown, WV, USA) recently installed Agfa HealthCare’s (Mortsel, Belgium) DX-D Retrofit DR system to convert an existing analog X-ray room to digital technology, streamlining workflow.

The hospital has selected the company’s DX-D Retrofit with dual cesium wireless detectors to convert an existing analog X-ray room into a fully digital system. The DX-D Retrofit is designed to increase efficiency within the radiology department by providing instant image review and eliminating the need for computed radiography (CR) or medical screen film cassettes. With the DX-D Retrofit, X-ray images captured within the digital room are immediately available for review and can easily be transferred and stored to the patient’s EHR.

Monongalia General Hospital is a 189-bed, acute care community hospital serving North Central West Virginia and the surrounding region. “Our long term relationship with Agfa HealthCare made the DX-D Retrofit a natural technology choice when we decided to upgrade one of our X-ray rooms to a digital format,” commented Brenda DeBastiani, director of imaging services, Monongalia General Hospital radiology department. “We have been very pleased with Agfa HealthCare’s CR technology in our radiology department for more than 10 years and believe it will be a seamless transition for our technologists. Although it typically only takes a few minutes to develop an X-ray cassette, that time becomes substantial when it is multiplied by numerous X-rays we conduct daily, weekly, and monthly in our facility. The automatic digital downloading of images in combination with the faster exam is expected to save our staff significant time, which will translate into cost savings at the hospital. In addition, the reduction in radiation dose that the DX-D Retrofit enables is a significant benefit to our patients.”

Agfa HealthCare’s DX-D Retrofit is a vendor-neutral DR upgrade solution that provides healthcare facilities a cost-effective transition to the benefits of DR and direct digital image capture without replacing their existing X-ray equipment. Featuring the same clinical benefits as the rest of Agfa HealthCare’s DR product range, the DX-D Retrofit features industry-leading image quality through its MUSICA image processing software and efficient workflow thanks to the user-friendly NX workstation.

“Monongalia General Hospital’s adoption of our DX-D Retrofit is a testament to the quality of our DR technology and the value that it offers within a radiology department and throughout the broader healthcare setting,” said George Curley, senior marketing manager, Agfa HealthCare North America. “The benefits of upgrading to a digital X-ray room include almost immediate image access, faster exam times and the potential to reduce dose with cesium iodide [CsI]-based detectors. DR has been shown to improve workflow within the hospital while also providing a quality patient experience.”

Related Links:
Monongalia General Hospital
Agfa HealthCare