More Efficient Approach to Safety

Elder care, correctional, hospital, hospice, behavioral, and treatment centers all have protocols to keep the patients, residents, and general population accounted for and safe. Each facility has different necessary protocols. Over the next few articles, we will discuss how mobile X-ray can help improve safety and alleviate costs. We will begin this conversation with correctional and Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities.

One of the biggest challenges with correctional and Immigration facilities is continuation of care. When an inmate receives medical care outside the facility, tests are needed from multiple departments and facilities; resulting in duplicated tests and assessments, prolonged results, and delayed treatments.

There has to be care coordination to ensure the prescribed treatment follows the correctional facilities safety practices. Communication between the facility medical staff and the civilian medical staff is limited, often delayed, and misinterpreted.

Mobile X-ray and imaging services help improve communication. The correctional facility medical staff can receive same-day images and review reports online immediately. Immediate imaging helps the staff stay informed and provide prescribed treatment efficiently.

Prisons are Consistent, Clinical, and Controlled Environments

Quality of care is still important, however there is also an emphasis on maintaining consistency, not letting inmates abuse the system, and controlling costs.

Once medical staff approves the imaging of an inmate, the correctional facility’s physician writes an order for the exam. At that point, a tech from American Mobile Medical is dispatched to the facility.

Our technicians are escorted through the facility to the medical department to perform the medical orders as directed. Staying within the facility helps contain the inmates in the controlled environment and does not require the additional unique precautions associated with an inmate leaving the facility.

To maintain consistency in a controlled environment the onsite medical staff must stay informed. From the time an order is submitted, an online record is updated for staff to review. Often, x-ray results are available before the technician has packed up and returns to their van. Staff is fully informed from the point of order to diagnosis to prescribed treatment.