PET Scans
Julia Savage
HCS/320
May 1, 2012

PET Scans PET scans (Position Emission Tomography) are a wonderful addition to present-day health care. PET scans are a type of imaging test that shows the physician, the patient’s organs and tissue in his or her body, and how these organs and tissues are functioning. PET scans gives the physician three-dimensional pictures, and the physician can see organs, and tissues from any angle to check for abnormalities much faster than CT scans or an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). Currently, PET scans are most commonly used to detect cancer, heart problems (such as coronary artery disease and damage to the heart following a heart attack), brain disorders (including brain tumors, memory disorders, seizures) and other central nervous system disorders (Cleveland Clinic, 2009).
Efficient and Effective Communication PET scans are one most efficient and effective ways of communication for physicians and their patients. These scans are more effective because this scan can detect an abnormality or abnormalities faster and more accurately than any other scan, which in turn makes it more efficient and effective in the diagnosis of diseases. Pet scans are more effective than a CT Scan or MRI because it detects and reveals the cellular level metabolic changes occurring in an organ or tissue faster than CT scans or MRI and that makes it more efficient to make treat the patient sooner for better prognosis.
Advantages and Disadvantages Because a PET scans can reveal any change in a cell detecting cellular level metabolic change earlier, is an advantage for patient, his or her family, and the physician. Another advantage is the scan can be done as an outpatient, and the results are back within two to three days. Disadvantages are radiation exposure, not every hospital has a PET scan, and catheter may have to be inserted in the bladder if the test needs to be done around the bladder area. The dose of radiation that a patient is given is low, and usually not harmful to an adult but if the patient is pregnant or breastfeeding it could be harmful to the baby or fetus. Also not every hospital owns a PET scan because of the high cost of the scan and patients may have to travel far to receive the scan.
Influence on Consumer PET scan’s influence on the consumer or patient is almost all positive. Besides the small amount of radiation and expense it may cost patients and hospitals. The scan detects abnormalities faster than more common scan such as, the CT scan. Acquiring technology that advanced to help doctors and their patients is priceless. My husband had cancer and his PET scan picked up the tumor in his liver whereas the CT scan did not.
Short- and Long-Term Financial Impact The short-term financial impact could be devastating to a patient if he or she had to pay out-of-pocket for the PET scan. A PET scan could cost a hospital between one to 2.5 million dollars and having a scan for a patient without insurance could run around $3000. The long-term financial impact is admissible if the prognosis is good and saved a life. Life itself is priceless and cannot be replaced by any amount of money.
Improvements and Recommendations Recommendations for improvements for the PET scan would be to lower cost for a patient without health insurance. The Hill-Burton Act could be of huge assistance and recommendation. The Hill-Burton Act is a federal program, which requires obligated facilities (health care facilities including hospitals that have used federal money for facility reconstruction or modernization) to provide free or low cost health care services to people living in the facility’s area who cannot afford to pay for the services (U. S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, 2012).
Conclusion
Considering the pros and cons of a PET scan, the scan is a positive advantage to health care and organization. PET scans have proven to revile an abnormality before other scans. By revealing abnormalities is the beginning stages helps to save lives because some cancer can be treated into remission if found early enough.

References
Bay Area Breast Cancer Network (2010). Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan, PET/CT & Vitamin B-12. Retrieved from http://www.babcn.org/images/news/petscan.htm
Cleveland Clinic (2009). PET Scan. Retrieved from http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/pet_scan/hic_pet_scan.aspx
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (2012). HILL-BURTON ACT. Retrieved from http://www.211ct.org/InformationLibrary/Documents/HillBurtonActcw.asp