Diagnostic Imaging Equipment & Staff Retention: What’s the Connection

All across the nation, an aging population and increased access to health insurance have resulted in a greater demand for diagnostic testing. This means that radiology techs and other clinicians are also in high demand. With many opportunities available, people have great flexibility in deciding where they want to work – whether that’s in the hospital setting, an outpatient clinic, an ambulatory surgery center or other health care facility.

If you’re a practice administrator, you know that attracting and keeping qualified clinicians on staff can be challenging.  But did you know your diagnostic imaging equipment has a role to play in your ability to attract and retain staff?

Consider Quality of Life in the Workplace Environment

A diagnostic imaging technician spends a significant amount of their workday working with diagnostic imaging equipment. Whether that means a c-arm, mini c-arm, x-ray machine or other piece of equipment, the tech is counting on the equipment to function flawlessly so physicians can get the test results they need in a timely fashion and patient wait times are kept to a minimum.

If your diagnostic imaging equipment isn’t working properly, or requires multiple attempts to generate usable results, your clinicians are going to become frustrated. They’re the ones who field the calls from doctor’s offices when test results don’t arrive when expected, or aren’t of acceptable quality. No one likes to be in that position – especially when it’s caused by faulty equipment.

The Impact of Wait Times on Patient Satisfaction & Clinician Retention

It’s a well-known fact that lengthy wait times have a negative impact on patient satisfaction scores. If your practice has limited testing capacity due to the amount or condition of your diagnostic imaging equipment, patients will have to wait to be seen. Once again, we see the diagnostic imaging techs being forced to bear the brunt of patient complaints and impatience. If this situation keeps occurring without any hope of positive change, it’s not unusual for clinicians to seek employment elsewhere.

Learning Why Your Clinicians Are Leaving

Ideally, you’ll be talking with your diagnostic imaging technicians about their working conditions and any challenges they may have on an ongoing basis. If during this time, you hear about equipment that’s not performing the way it should be, acting proactively to have those units repaired, replaced, or upgraded is a meaningful demonstration of your practice’s commitment to both your techs and your patients.

Every practice needs a procedure for handling clinician departures. This generally takes the form of an exit interview, during which time practice administrators can delve into the reasons why an employee has decided to seek work elsewhere. Use this opportunity to inquire about what role, if any, the state of your diagnostic imaging equipment had on their decision-making process.  Armed with this information, you can assess whether your current diagnostic imaging equipment meets your practice’s needs and expectations, or if it’s time to replace or upgrade.

To make the most of your budget, consider refurbished diagnostic imaging equipment. You’ll save as much as 40% compared to OEM costs. This is a significant savings when replacing existing equipment or increasing practice testing capacity. If upgrading your diagnostic imaging equipment helps convince your clinical staff to stay, you’ll realize additional savings – there will be no need to advertise for or train new staff!  Choosing refurbished diagnostic imaging equipment can help your practice keep your clinicians and save money.