PET CT Machine Cost: Essential Information You Should Know
Knowing Your Budget for PET CT Machine Cost
Deciding on an imaging device for a clinic can be a dangerous endeavor if you don’t know what you should be looking for. Having an understanding of a typical PET CT machine cost is important before immersing yourself too far in the process. If a clinic does not have a clear understanding of the functions it needs the imaging device to serve, they should not even begin the search process without first evaluating their needs more thoroughly.
What are the functions the imaging device will need to provide? What patients will the clinic be serving? How much could these services vary? A practice cannot find an appropriate budget for the PET CT machine cost without answering these questions before all else.
A Range of Costs for Different Machines
A clinic can expect to find a big difference in the cost of the latest models compared with older models. Also, depending on where you look, numbers could vary dramatically. The varieties of features and parts have a significant impact on the PET CT machine cost, but slice count is the most consistent indicator for price points.
A higher slice count will reduce the time needed for individual patient scans while improving resolution on images. These can be irreplaceable assets to a clinic by improving patient experience and creating an easier process in the diagnosis. With that said, it needs to be made clear that a lower slice count can be more than sufficient with a lower PET CT machine cost depending on the needs and usage of a practice. A clinic should not be going over budget for merely acquiring a higher slice count.
These are price points expected by Block Imaging for a machine including installation and a first scan warranty:
$75,000 – $100,000
- GE 4-slice
- Siemens 6-slice
- Philips 16-slice
$100,000 – $200,000
- GE 16-slice
- Siemens 16-slice
- Philips 64-slice
$200,000 – $400,000
- GE 64-slice
- Siemens 64-slice
Know The Need, Know The Budget
Scanners and other equipment may seem like the highest priority in spending for a clinic, and that can easily result in over-spending. Provided a clinic meets their essential needs, there is no need to spring for an extra expense in PET CT machine cost. Plenty of other things require a substantial budget, and accounting for those things before deciding on which machine to purchase is a necessity.
To neglect the hiring of staff and the training of that staff is one of the biggest mistakes a practice could make. If a clinic pours too much of the budget into equipment, this is exactly what could happen. Each clinic needs to be prepared to provide its staff with the proper training, and getting the best possible training should be a higher priority than getting a device that is superfluous to needs. The moment a clinic adds PET CT machine cost to the budget is the moment it needs to account for other necessities.
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