Wet Read: Serving up … X-ray trucks

Food trucks are big. In my city, New York, there is almost no way you can walk down a street without finding a curbside deli, burger, Halal, Jamaican, Indian, Korean barbecue, or almost any other kind of food truck you can imagine—serving food in a paper container.

And, usually it’s fabulous.

Is there a healthcare lesson here? Am I talking to myself? Don’t answer that. Of course there is a healthcare lesson—this is a radiology column.

The radiology truck!

The complexity of cuisine that can come from a truck is awe-inspiring. I have no reason to think we couldn’t do the same for X-rays (read imaging) from a truck. A CT and an MR can fit in a truck—a big truck, yes, that’s true, but still a truck. US is easy. We could put several of those in a truck, and have shorter lines. Angio is just an X-ray tube. Okay, we need the table and the control room, and a little space to move around. No worry. Plain film? Again, no worry.

Where does one park this production? I would suggest doing as the food vendors do: Go where the customers are! You’re packing plain films—how about near a skateboard park?

CT? Want to do facial bones? Park where the bars are.

I think I will leave the vast majority of potential sites to your own (possibly crazier than mine) imagination. We will have to think about other support staff for this new adventure into mobile radiology. A competent driver to start with. Can you imagine trying to park that thing?And you’d also need to work out something to pay for parking. That adds to my overhead, but you’ve got to break a few eggs to make an omelette. Stay out from underneath trees unless you want to wash it all the time.

Go to the window, order up from the menu, pay, and wait for your name to be called. Quick and easy. I am seeing a very successful potential alliance with various food trucks. Maybe end up with the US unit for those RUQ exams near some nice, greasy burgers.

I think the opportunity to be outside and wait in the sun is a plus. Bad weather, well, maybe we can park in one of those protected RV parks.

Keep calm. All is well.

Mahalo.