|
What is the difference between a general health screening and a diagnostic study?
The objective of a preventative health screening is to separate the normal from the abnormal or questionable findings and send the person with the abnormal finding on for further follow-up studies to quantify the extent of the disease. The idea of a screening study is it should be inexpensive, readily available and very reliable with few false negatives. No study is 100% accurate. We should be willing to accept a false positive once in a while as a minor downside to not missing anything. That is the nature of any health screening study, whether it is a nuclear bone scan, PAP smear, or mammogram. It is better to check out an abnormal appearing or questionable finding and be safe rather than sorry.
I have a doctor. Why do I need Matrix Ultrasound?
We are not trying to replace your doctor. We are simply trying to provide you and your doctor with more information that can help you to reduce your risk for complications from vascular disease and osteoporosis. Matrix Ultrasound is a non-referral service. We want you to work with your personal physician.
Does Medicare or insurance cover your professional health screenings?
Medicare does not currently allow for coverage of our screenings. Insurance coverage varies from policy to policy. We will provide you with a detailed receipt that can be submitted to your insurance company to determine coverage. You should also make a copy of your results to send along. All insurance policies are different based on your individual coverage.
How long does it take to have the screenings done?
Each professional health screening takes less than ten minutes depending on the level of disease, your vascular anatomy and your body type. If you are having all four of our screenings, we recommend that you allocate one to two hours of your time.
How often should I have these general health screenings done?
Many of our customers come back on a yearly basis. This is a personal decision based on your family history, age and other risk factors and the results of your screenings. Since plaque buildup is a progressive disease, many people feel comfortable being screened annually as part of their preventive healthcare regimen.
Can my physician do this type of general health screening as part of my routine physical?
No. Most physicians can only order diagnostic tests if you are experiencing symptoms. They are not able to order them as a preventive measure. Most insurance providers do not cover the cost of "preventive" screenings. Our goal is to identify individuals with significant disease through the screening process, before a problem occurs.
What are the qualifications of your ultrasound teams?
Our highly skilled and experienced sonographers have all completed formal training programs in ultrasound and clinical rotations in a hospital environment.
Do I get the results of my general health screenings or do they go directly to my doctor?
The results of your health screening will be sent to you. If your results are within the normal range, you will receive a letter explaining the results along with a written report of these results for you to share with your doctor. If we recommend further evaluation, you will receive a letter explaining your results, a written report of the screening results and the pictures of the arteries scanned so that you can follow up with your personal physician. We will also include a letter, questionnaire and critique for both you and your doctor, so we can better monitor our quality and professionalism.
What type of equipment is used?
Matrix Ultrasound offers affordable, high quality screening through the use of state-of-the-art Doppler color flow ultrasound technology. We use the same ultrasound technology found in most hospitals.
|
