ADORA RF AT THE SAHLGRENSKA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
The radiology nurses Sigrid Latham and Pari Dadras are pioneers. Up until now, Sahlgrenske University Hospital has been the only site where the Adora RF has been commissioned. Now, their knowledge will be shared with other hospitals in Scandinavia.
The room in which the Adora RF is installed still has the scent of new. Initially, the system was operated by the super users in the x-ray room, radiology nurses Sigrid Latham and Pari Dadras.
“We are now confident in the use of the Adora RF and have commenced training of our colleagues”, Sigrid explains.
The advanced technology is new ground for everyone involved and it is a particular feeling to be among the firstin the world to try out something new. The radiology nurses at Sahlgrenska are fully aware that every concern they communicate to Mediel or the Danish manufacturer NRT are taken seriously. They have an impression of influencing the development of future x-ray equipment.
“As we are the first to use the system in real life, ideas and proposals for improvements are welcomed. We have had ongoing direct dialog with the suppliers”.
The novelty of the Adora RF is the possibility to perform fluoroscopy. It enables both positioning fluoroscopy in skeletal examinations and cine lops, e.g. in esophagus examinations. Furthermore, the system can perform multiple exposures, so called stitching, enabling e.g. the study of an entire spine in one image, Sigrid explains.
“In addition to the super user training in the x-ray room, we have attended an image optimization training course at Mediel in order to further refine the image quality”, she says.
The x-ray equipment is radiant white and the soft, chubby curves have some resemblance with the Playmobil toys. The advanced computer monitors are decorated with pedagogical symbols well known to the radiology nurses. It is a new way of working and the new technology felt a bit awkward in the beginning, Sigrid and Pari think, and start demonstrating the system’s multi-functions.
The equipment has a total of 999 auto-positions and with a few, simple taps on the buttons, the Adora RF moves to the desired position.
“As the equipment can be moved in all directions, we have the possibility of using the entire room in a completely new way. The patient can either be supine, sitting or standing”, Sigrid shows.
Also in terms of ergonomics, the Adora RF is a dream. As everything is automated, manual movements have been reduced to a minimum, both in terms of turning patients and maneuvering the equipment. The computers have both monitors with touch screen and mouse in order to avoid repetitive movement patterns.
“Traditional occupational damages for radiology nurses are ache in shoulders and neck. Hopefully, we will avoid that in the future”, says Pari Dadras.
An additional Adora RF has been ordered by Sahlgrenska University Hospital and the installation is being planned at the moment.
The hospitals in Ljusdal and Aarhus (DK) will also have the Adora RF installed, and in 2012 all three hospitals will start an exchange of knowledge and proposals for further development of the system.
“The objective is to prepare a method book describing best practices in order to use the system to its full potential” says Sigrid Latham.
In the future, thorax examinations will be made in the musculoskeletal department at Sahlgrenska. Thereby patients avoid walking from one x-ray department to another, often with long waiting times as a consequence.
In many cases, the examination time on the new system is twice as fast, which is a definitive benefit for the patients. In the future this means that the patientflow can be increased and the hospital will be able to save both time and money”, notes Department Director Anette Andrén Hedström.
“Yes, thanks to the new Adora RF we will be able to reduce the number of x-ray equipment in the department”, she says.
Radiology nurses Sigrid Latham (left) and Pari Dadras (right)
Text: Lotta Engelbrektson
Translated from the Swedish original – Mediel Magasinet 1/2012
Doc. nr: 14200497.1817
