3 ms·

Kids will be less likely to lie still if they're anxious; slowing down the diagnostic process.

by mr_sturd 3y ago

pipeline_peak 3y ago
They can't do a mock run?
- mr_sturd 3y ago
  Every second can count in paediatrics, so won't always be possible.
- mhb 3y ago
  In the $nnnnnnn MRI machine?
- phone8675309 3y ago
  No, they don’t make mock MRI scanners at any significant volume, and an MRI scanner at a hospital is like an aircraft on the tarmac for an airline - every minute it’s not in use is a minute that the owner is losing money.
  - chmod775 3y ago
    These things aren't that expensive: about $1m - $3m for a top of the line one, and cost about $20k/month to operate on top of that. Depending on what kind of MRI you want, you can pay less than $200k. You can find used/refurbished GE Signa LX 1.5T's for ~$100k for instance. But let's assume you've got a million dollar top of the line model, the expected lifespan is 10 years, and you're using it 20 hours / day, then you need to account ~$100 per hour of usage. That's not a crazy amount in the medical world. Personnel costs of those operating / using it are going to outweigh the cost of the machine itself.
    - lostlogin 3y ago
      You aren’t far off. Costs vary hugely depending on machine spec and how it’s run. A gold plated set of contracts with specified uptime is not cheap, but it is easily a saving when you can’t bill thousands an hour due to an outage. Spreading the cost over 10 years is a little misleading. Scanners can last 15 years without too much drama, but upgrades every 5 or so years which cost hundreds of thousands can be expected. An outpatient scanner will not get 20 hours usage per day where I live, but a hospital one could. Staff costs, as you note, are huge and dwarf the scanner costs over its lifetime. I wouldn’t be surprised if staffing was a 10x multiplier on scanner costs.

3 ms·

Kids will be less likely to lie still if they're anxious; slowing down the diagnostic process.

by mr_sturd 3y ago

Kids will be less likely to lie still if they're anxious; slowing down the diagnostic process.

pipeline_peak 3y ago
They can't do a mock run?
- mr_sturd 3y ago
  Every second can count in paediatrics, so won't always be possible.
- mhb 3y ago
  In the $nnnnnnn MRI machine?
- phone8675309 3y ago
  No, they don’t make mock MRI scanners at any significant volume, and an MRI scanner at a hospital is like an aircraft on the tarmac for an airline - every minute it’s not in use is a minute that the owner is losing money.
  - chmod775 3y ago
    These things aren't that expensive: about $1m - $3m for a top of the line one, and cost about $20k/month to operate on top of that. Depending on what kind of MRI you want, you can pay less than $200k. You can find used/refurbished GE Signa LX 1.5T's for ~$100k for instance. But let's assume you've got a million dollar top of the line model, the expected lifespan is 10 years, and you're using it 20 hours / day, then you need to account ~$100 per hour of usage. That's not a crazy amount in the medical world. Personnel costs of those operating / using it are going to outweigh the cost of the machine itself.
    - lostlogin 3y ago
      You aren’t far off. Costs vary hugely depending on machine spec and how it’s run. A gold plated set of contracts with specified uptime is not cheap, but it is easily a saving when you can’t bill thousands an hour due to an outage. Spreading the cost over 10 years is a little misleading. Scanners can last 15 years without too much drama, but upgrades every 5 or so years which cost hundreds of thousands can be expected. An outpatient scanner will not get 20 hours usage per day where I live, but a hospital one could. Staff costs, as you note, are huge and dwarf the scanner costs over its lifetime. I wouldn’t be surprised if staffing was a 10x multiplier on scanner costs.