I took my wife to the Beachwood, OH Advantage Diagnostics facility for an ABD/PELV CT scan W/O…read moreContrast, for hematuria and specifically to rule out kidney stones. Being certified in CT and having worked in radiology for over 15 years, I knew what she should expect during her visit. Therefore, I advised my wife ahead of time to be certain to reiterate to the CT tech prior to the scan that she was there for a "kidney stone protocol", which she did. A kidney stone protocol calls for especially thin spiral CT slices in the range of 1.0-2.0mm, which is according to industry standards. The thinner slices permit the detection of smaller stones/calculi that might otherwise go undetected with the standard 5mm slices. Unfortunately, the CT Tech was very impersonal, didn't explain anything to my wife beforehand and simply went through the motions to get the job done. There were no patients in the waiting room at the time - no rush - zero pressure - no excuses.
Once home, I reviewed the images on the provided disc and discovered that the scan was performed utilizing 5mm thick slices. I contacted the office and spoke with the CT Tech who insisted that the axial images were indeed performed at 2.0mm. Thinking perhaps I misread a series on the disc, I re-reviewed all of the images and confirmed that the axial images were indeed performed at 5.0mm thickness and not with 2.0mm slices as I was being told. I then called the CT Tech again, who, stating that she was currently looking over the images, assured me that the images were performed at 3.0mm thickness. I said, no, I'm looking at the images as well and they were performed at 5.0mm. She then conceded that yes, the images were at 5.0mm. ??? When I asked why she told me previously that the axial slices were performed at 2.0mm, she said, no, we do them at 5.0mm. So, I was first told the scan was performed using 2.0mm slices, then 3.0mm, then finally the truth at 5.0mm.
To make matters worse, prior to our appointment I asked what the price would be for this particular CT scan with direct payment not using insurance. The cost was very reasonable. However, to reduce the out-of-pocket cost even further, we asked that they submit the claim through our insurance provider instead. Weeks later, we receive a bill in the mail from Advantage Diagnostics that reflected only minimal savings on our behalf. Interestingly, however, they billed and received over five (5) times the initial direct pay quote from our insurance provider.
In the end, we thought that we had discovered a reasonably priced imaging facility that we could rely on for our diagnostic imaging needs as an alternative to the larger institutions. On one hand, the schedulers were terrific and very helpful in orchestrating things with the doctor and the insurance company in the process of establishing the appointment. The CT Tech, on the other hand, showed incompetence, questionable integrity and a gross lack of concern for the patient and the patient's diagnosis. Add to that the gross overcharge to our insurance provider and it goes without saying that there is no "Advantage" to the services provided by this company. Needless to say, we will not be back.
