Digital Imaging Center Links Current Articles Related to Digital X-ray in Chiropractic Digital Imaging Services Available (PDF) Transmittal Form to Accompany Film Images (PDF) Mailing Label to Submit Films Examples of Film to Digital Conversion Example of Report Provided in Addition to E-Film Lite Version of Images Imaging FAQ Resources

Digital Imaging Center FAQ
Utilizing the benefits of digital x-ray technology.

Where do I send films for conversion to digital format?

Digital Imaging Center
Life Chiropractic College West
25001 Industrial Boulevard
Hayward, California 94545

Click here to print a label for mailing.

How should I send the films?

We recommend that films be shipped, together with a Digital Imaging Center transmittal form, in a secure envelope by U.S. Mail. We do NOT recommend UPS or Fed Ex for this function.

How long does it take to convert films to a digital format and to process a report on the images?

Generally the College will have the materials on the way back to you within three days of receipt on campus.

How much does it cost for films to be converted to digital images and a report prepared?

$60.00 per region. For example, a cervical series would be $60.00, a cervical series and a shoulder series would be $120.00 etc. These fees include return mailing costs

Who enhances and interprets the images generated by the College’s system?

At the present time all enhancements, reads and reports are provided by James Carter, D.C., DACBR. Dr. Carter has been a full-time member of the Life Chiropractic College West faculty for over 6 years. He received his credentials from the American Board of Chiropractic Radiology in 1989.

How can I pay for this service?

The College accepts payment at the time of submission of the films by check or credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express). The following finance-related policies are in effect:

1. Images will not be converted and read without payment accompanying the films and required information.
2. If payment is made by credit card, the payment will be processed prior to conversion of the images. If the credit card information is provided is not authorized, the submitting office will be notified by telephone and e-mail (if address was provided).
3. If payment is made by check and, upon deposit, the check is not honored, an additional charge of $25.00 for the returned check will be assessed. The images will not be converted until payment is received.
4. All studies will be returned by First Class U.S. Mail Services. Requests for Express Mail or Fed Ex-type return of images must be made with the submission of images and payment of $20.00 must accompany the images.
5. If the images provided are of such a quality or content to be uninterpretable and/or unenhancable, there will be a $30.00 processing charge per region. (as opposed to the standard $60.00 fee). A report or CD will not be provided in this situation.

For what types of patients should I consider using this service?

• Any potential med-legal patient.
• Any patient whose has an x-ray that yields questionable findings.
• Any patient yielding unusual findings.
• Any patient offering an unusual presentation.
• Pediatric patients due to high degree of variability.

How is this service billed?

The Digital Imaging Center recommends that charges for our services be reflected as “76140—Outside Radiology Report”.

These charges reflect films being converted to a digital format, those digital images then being enhanced to optimum contrast and density, important findings annotated directly on the digital images, two unique digital presentation formats. Multiple copies were provided in CD media to eliminate additional film copying expenses. A traditional narrative radiology report was also provided.

How does this work if I am not very computer literate?

Your computer skills are not a key factor is using the digital images returned to you by the College. Your images will come back in two formats; a PowerPoint Pack-and-Go version and an E-Film Lite version.

The PowerPoint version is literally a click and go process. The E-Film Lite version allows you to alter the density and contrast of the images, enlarge the images and create line markings. Directions on how to use the PowerPoint version can be viewed by clicking here, and directions to use the E-Film Lite version can be viewed by clicking here!

How do I show a patient their images?

You can do this on a computer monitor, or through a plasma screen or through a projection system. This part of the process can be as high tech as you want to be. This is a one click process.

Do patients like seeing this type of image rather than an x-ray?

Everybody likes technology. Your patients will love this method of demonstrating your x-ray findings to them. You will receive three CDs each containing a Pack and Go PowerPoint version of the digital images. We suggest you give a copy of the CD to the patient and encourage them to take them home and let their family and friends see their images.

Is there an x-ray exposure reduction when using DR?

There are two key elements associated with reducing exposure through this approach. Traditional film radiography tends to require higher factors that essentially over-expose the film, the film is then developed up to the point of obtaining an image. An underexposed film cannot be affected by developing but an overexposed film can be developed up to the image. This type over over-exposure is not an intentional approach it is basically how x-ray is used. In the DR environment lower factors are used to create the image and a computer program is used to bring the image to the desired image quality.

The second means of reducing x-ray exposure involves a dramatic reduction in retakes. Films that are underexposed or significantly overexposed must be retaken. Using DR technology these types of errors can be corrected by the software system and a retake isn’t needed.

The bottomline is simple-if you get the body part in front of the bucky and it doesn’t move you are almost always going to get an image that can be enhanced to an appropriate film.

What are the advantages of this technology to the practicing chiropractor?

The patient safety issues are great, but the chiropractor gets so many other positives from the technology. Imagine never buying any more x-ray film, never having to purchase replacement chemicals for an x-ray processor, never lose another film and never have to spare one additional square foot for film storage. These are not pie-in-the-sky possible advantages they are real and immediate.

Aside from the safety factors and the cost-saving associated with consumables is digital radiography provide greater clinical utility?

In comparison to the aspects we have already touched on the clinical utility DR provides are out of sight! Imagine looking at a film and wishing that the contrast was a bit better or that a given structure was a bit more exposed and visible-voila, two clicks of a mouse and the film is exactly what you wanted. Imagine looking at a structure and wishing it were more easily visualized, two clicks and that osteophyte you were looking at is now occupying an entire computer screen. The icing on the cake is that you can save as many enhanced images as you want-an enlargement of the atlanto-axial area, some lipping on a lateral image or any image enhanced anyway you want.

What does a chiropractor do when someone else needs a copy of the images and the person requesting the images doesn’t use digital radiography?

This is where the technology moves from being useful to being downright fun. Say an insurance company has a question about an image, you can print the image to plain paper-the penny a page stuff, you could e-mail it to the adjusted, you could burn it to a CD and send it along with your report. Now the best part, the software the use the film is embedded with each image so the person who gets the film only needs a computer that can access e-mail or a CD.

Let’s get down to the affordability matters, is this technology within the reach of the average chiropractor?

An office that is taking four or five film sets a day can close to a wash in terms of costs and then all the utilitarian aspects we’ve talked about come with the deal. If you were building or remodeling an office and you factor in the cost savings of not constructing and equipping a dark room the savings become more obvious and more immediate.