Dr. Potenciano “Yong” S.D. Larrazabal, III, president and board chairman of CebuDoc Group.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Doc Group invested P100 million on a state-of-the art Philips IQon Spectral CT (computed tomography) Scan as it highlights the value of patient care and accurate diagnosis in their continuing bid to be the top health care provider in this part of the country.
Dr. Potenciano “Yong” S.D. Larrazabal, III, CebuDoc Group, president and board chairman, said this is the world’s first and only detector-based spectral CT that promises diagnostic certainty, spectral efficiency, and powerful advancement.
This means that the patient can choose different ambiant experience while undergoing complete scan.
The hospital is the first in the country to install Spectral CT technology with ambient experience that helps in reducing patients’ stress and anxiety.
Dr. Yong said bringing the latest diagnostic technology in Cebu is part of Cebu Doc’s commitment to innovation.
“Since then, CebuDoc has always been committed to bringing the latest healthcare technology for the Filipinos, especially for the Cebuanos. This is just one of the many efforts we do to boost our diagnostic confidence for a more reliable and credible diagnosis,” he said.
The Spectral CT Scan is stationed at the Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital in Cebu City.
“This innovation is also part of our commitment to equip our physicians with the right and advanced tools,” said Dr. Yong.
“With this, we hope that more physicians will be enabled to make use of the latest resource that CebuDoc has. In that way, we can help more people and save more lives,” he added.
Ashwin Chari, country manager of Philips Philippines Inc., said the healthcare industry faces several challenges including an aging population, resource constraints and rise of chronic diseases.
These challenges, Chari said, need solutions that deliver extraordinary diagnostic quality, empowering clinicians to improve clinical confidence and make the right diagnosis in the first scan.
Conventional versus Spectral
Dr. Philip Anthony S.D. Larrazabal, chairman of CebuDoc’s Department of Radiology, said the detector-based solution of Spectral CT introduces a unique scanning and clinical application experience, without the pre-decisions required for source-based solutions.
“The best way to show compassion to our patients is to help them economically and this is our way of helping more Filipinos to be more cost-efficient especially in health care”,” said Dr. Philip.
He said the presence of the Spectral CT Scan will revolutionize patient care at Cebu Doctors University Hospital.
“The challenge for imaging today is to please the patient, the technologist, the radiologist the physician as well as hospital administration. All these can be answered by the new Spectral CT,” added Dr. Philip during the launching ceremony held last September 12, 2019.
Dr. Phillip said they will be able to improve patient care through earlier confident diagnosis.
“This scan can acquire multiple layers of data from the detector and we become more certain in our diagnosis,” he said.
In explaining the latest technology, Dr. Phillip likened it to the “machine that scans passengers’ luggage at the airport.”
“With a conventional scan, you can see the gun. With dual energy, you can what it is composed of,” he said.
“With Spectral CT were not just analysing the anatomical part or data. There is additional data or tissue characterization and there are more layers of data,” added Dr. Philip.
Reduce expenses
In an interview with CDN Digital inside the Spectral CT Scan room, Dr. Yong explained thst they can now easily accommodate a wide range of patient sizes from pediatric to bariatric.
The room is spacious and radiates a homey and relaxing vibe. While the scan is ongoing, the patient can choose to spend time at the beach, swim with dolphins or watch cartoons.
“Positive distraction reduces patients’ stress and anxiety,” he said.
Dr. Yong said they now have an improved visualization and characterization of tissues resulting in diagnostic certainty which will lead to better patient care.
Because the technology reduces scanning time, it also equates to shorter tile for diagnosis and decrease in repeat scans.
This helps reduce the expenses of the patients and the hospital.
Dr. Yong said they will charge the existing rate for the Spectral CT scan, while the rate for the regular CT Scan will be reduced.
“With the Philips IQon Spectral CT we can deliver more confident patient diagnoses in the first scan, representing a revolution in CT performance here in CebuDoc,” said Dr. Yong.