Monitor and optimize patient radiation dose across modalities.
Scope, project management & OEM documentation
Biomedical & IT teams deployed nationwide
Dedicated service desk for Nigerian facilities
A Dose Management Program Service is a specialized technical and clinical support service that helps your hospital monitor, manage, and optimize the radiation doses delivered to patients from medical imaging equipment. You need this service if you operate CT scanners, fluoroscopy systems, mammography units, or general X-ray machines to ensure patient safety, comply with Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) regulations, and improve diagnostic image quality. This service solves critical pain points like inconsistent imaging protocols, lack of dose data for audits, difficulty meeting donor-funded project requirements for reporting, and the risk of non-compliance with national radiation safety laws.
This service is essential for a wide range of Nigerian healthcare facilities, from large federal teaching hospitals like LUTH in Lagos and UCH in Ibadan, to state general hospitals, and leading private diagnostic chains such as MeCure and Echolab. It is also a mandatory requirement for many international health NGOs and donor-funded projects that provide diagnostic imaging equipment, as they require strict quality assurance and dose reporting to ensure their investments are used safely and effectively. Without a formal program, you are operating blindly, unable to prove to regulators, patients, or partners that you are providing safe, high-quality care.
Ad-hoc, single-system dose audits cost between NGN 250,000 and NGN 750,000 per visit, while bundled annual contracts for ongoing monitoring and reporting range from NGN 1,500,000 to NGN 5,000,000 per critical system. A full turnkey program, including software, integration, and multi-year support for a whole department, can start from NGN 15,000,000. The primary cost drivers are the number and complexity of your imaging systems (a 256-slice GE Revolution CT is more complex than a simple mobile X-ray), the geographical location of your facility which impacts travel logistics, the level of documentation required for NNRA or donor reporting, and whether hardware components like dose monitoring sensors are included.
The cost is also influenced by the service tier. A basic compliance-focused service will be cheaper than a comprehensive optimization program that involves deep collaboration with your radiologists and radiographers to refine clinical protocols. Urgency also plays a part; an emergency audit required for an NNRA query will cost more than a planned, scheduled visit. At Franance, we structure our pricing transparently based on these factors, ensuring you only pay for the level of service your facility truly needs.
Contact Franance for a detailed proposal tailored to your specific equipment and compliance needs.
The minimum cost for a one-off dose measurement check is between NGN 150,000 and NGN 300,000 per machine, per visit. This price typically covers only the basic measurement of radiation output for a limited set of protocols and provides a simple pass/fail report. Crucial elements are almost always excluded, such as in-depth image quality analysis, protocol optimization advice, staff training, trend analysis over time, and support during a regulatory audit.
The risks of choosing the cheapest option are significant. You may receive a report from a provider using uncalibrated or inappropriate test equipment, rendering the document useless for an NNRA audit. Response times are non-existent, and there is no warranty on the service; if the regulator questions the report, you are on your own. Hidden costs emerge when you need additional analysis or a re-test, which will be billed at high ad-hoc rates. This approach is a false economy that prioritizes a low initial price over genuine safety and compliance.
A cheap report that cannot withstand scrutiny is more dangerous than no report at all.
An affordable, value-optimized dose management bundle costs between NGN 800,000 and NGN 2,500,000 annually for a small to medium-sized facility. This price point moves beyond a simple one-time check to a proper program. It provides value by bundling scheduled quarterly or bi-annual performance audits with remote support, basic staff training, and consolidated reporting that satisfies both internal quality assurance and external regulatory requirements.
The key to affordability is efficiency. By scheduling visits for multiple clients along a specific route (e.g., a trip covering all our clients in the South-East), we reduce travel costs and pass the savings to you. Remote triage allows your radiographers to get quick advice on a protocol query without needing an expensive site visit. The true value lies in getting a proactive program that prevents problems, optimizes performance, and ensures you are always ready for an audit, rather than just a reactive, low-cost measurement.
Investing in a bundled program is the most cost-effective way to achieve genuine compliance and patient safety.
An Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) for a Dose Management Program service, covering labour, reporting, and support, typically ranges from NGN 1,500,000 to NGN 5,000,000 per year. A Comprehensive Maintenance Contract (CMC) is not standard for this service as it usually implies parts are included, which is more relevant to the imaging hardware itself. The comparison for dose management is better made between an AMC (a planned, programmatic approach) and a "Pay-As-You-Go" or ad-hoc model. The AMC provides predictable costs, proactive monitoring, and guaranteed compliance support, making it far superior for financial planning and risk management. The ad-hoc model, while seemingly cheaper upfront, leads to unpredictable spikes in expenditure and leaves you vulnerable between checks.
| Feature | Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) | Pay-As-You-Go (Ad-Hoc) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Structure | Fixed annual fee | Per-visit, per-incident billing |
| Budgeting | Predictable, easy to budget | Unpredictable, volatile |
| Service Focus | Proactive, scheduled, preventative | Reactive, on-demand |
| Reporting | Ongoing trend analysis, annual summaries | Isolated, single-point-in-time reports |
| Regulatory Support | Included; partner during audits | None; you are on your own |
| Typical Cost | NGN 1.5M - 5M / year | NGN 250k - 750k / visit |
An AMC is the professional standard for managing a critical function like radiation safety.
Contact Franance today for a comprehensive, no-obligation quote for a Dose Management Program tailored to your Nigerian facility's specific needs.
You can find qualified providers based primarily in major commercial hubs like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, though a select few, including Franance, offer genuine nationwide coverage. The best way to find them is through direct referrals from OEMs (like GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers, Philips Healthcare), recommendations from other hospital directors, or by searching for specialized biomedical engineering firms. The selection process must be rigorous. Do not just pick the cheapest quote. You must conduct thorough due diligence to ensure the provider is technically competent and corporately compliant.
This means verifying their Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration (RC number), demanding proof of their NNRA license to provide such services, and asking for OEM or specialized third-party training certificates for the engineers who will be sent to your site. Check their insurance policies, particularly professional indemnity and public liability. Always ask for at least three references from facilities similar to yours—and be sure to call them. Franance simplifies this by having a fully vetted and documented workflow; we provide our full compliance package as a standard part of any proposal.
Choosing an unvetted provider is a significant compliance and safety risk.
Franance is a verified, nationwide provider of Dose Management Program services, fully licensed by the NNRA and compliant with all Nigerian corporate regulations. Our service is built on a foundation of OEM-certified engineers, a centralized technical support desk, and a robust logistics network that covers all 36 states from our hubs in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano. We provide a complete, end-to-end solution that goes beyond simple measurement to include protocol optimization, staff training, and strategic reporting for management and donors.
The best provider is one who acts as a true partner in your radiation safety and quality program, not just a vendor who performs a test. They must have demonstrable experience with your specific portfolio of equipment—whether it's a fleet of Siemens Artis Q angio systems or a single Philips IntelliVue MP70 monitor in your ICU. The best providers invest heavily in their people and tools, maintaining a high engineer-to-site ratio to ensure availability and owning a wide range of calibrated, high-end test equipment like RaySafe and Fluke Biomedical dosimeters and phantoms.
Critically, their value is in the analysis and reporting. A top provider doesn't just give you a spreadsheet of numbers; they provide a trend analysis report with clear graphics, comparing your facility's performance against national reference levels and international benchmarks. They offer concrete, actionable recommendations to your clinical team on how to adjust protocols on a GE Optima CT680 to reduce dose without compromising diagnostic quality. Franance is structured to be this partner, focusing on data-driven insights and collaborative improvement.
A standard Scope of Work (SOW) for a Dose Management Program service in Nigeria includes an initial assessment of all radiation-emitting equipment, establishment of local Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs), scheduled quarterly or semi-annual performance verification, ongoing data collection and analysis, and comprehensive reporting. The initial setup phase typically takes 2-4 weeks, followed by the ongoing monitoring and reporting cycle as defined in the contract.
The SOW is executed in phases: 1) Assessment & Baseline: An initial audit to document all systems and take baseline performance measurements. 2) Implementation: If software is involved, this includes installation and integration. 3) Ongoing Verification: Scheduled site visits by an engineer/physicist to perform QC checks. 4) Data Analysis & Reporting: Regular analysis of dose data and delivery of quarterly/annual reports with recommendations. 5) Review & Optimization: An annual meeting to review performance and plan optimization strategies for the coming year.
The service works through a structured, cyclical process of measurement, analysis, and optimization. It begins with an on-site visit where a qualified engineer or medical physicist uses calibrated instrumentation, such as a RaySafe X2 system with appropriate phantoms (e.g., a CATPHAN phantom for CT scanners), to measure the radiation output and image quality performance of your equipment. This data is captured digitally and compared against both the manufacturer's specifications and the Nigerian National Diagnostic Reference Levels (NDRLs) established by the NNRA.
The methodology is standards-based. All tests are performed according to protocols derived from IEC 60601 and publications from bodies like the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM). Pass/fail thresholds are not arbitrary; they are determined by these established standards. For example, the measured CTDIvol for a routine adult head scan must be within a specified percentage of your target protocol and should ideally be below the national DRL. All findings, including the testing conditions (kV, mAs, filtration), are meticulously documented in a service report that forms a permanent record for your quality management system.
Service Level Agreement (SLA) tiers for a Dose Management Program focus on response times for analysis and reporting. A critical alert, such as the detection of a significant and repeated patient over-exposure event, should have a guaranteed remote analysis and response time of 4 business hours. An urgent request for protocol review or data for an upcoming audit should be addressed within 24 business hours. Routine deliverables, like the submission of a quarterly performance report, are scheduled with guaranteed delivery dates (e.g., within 15 days of the quarter's end).
A strong SLA from a provider like Franance will include remote triage as a first step for all queries, ensuring rapid initial assessment. It will also feature clear escalation paths and penalty clauses for non-performance. For example, a failure to deliver a critical annual report on time for an NNRA submission could trigger a service credit. The SLA is your guarantee of service quality and responsiveness.
Request a copy of Franance's detailed Service Level Agreement to see how we guarantee timely, responsive, and accountable Dose Management Program support across Nigeria.
You will receive a comprehensive set of documents that serve as legal proof of your compliance and quality assurance activities. After every on-site service, you get a detailed Field Service Report that outlines all tests performed, the measurements recorded, the pass/fail status for each test, and specific recommendations. For each piece of equipment that passes verification, you will receive a formal Certificate of Dose Performance Verification. On an annual basis, these are compiled into a single, executive-level Annual Dose Management Program Report, which is suitable for your hospital board, donor agencies, and submission to the NNRA.
These documents are your primary evidence during an audit. They demonstrate a systematic approach to radiation safety. Franance ensures all our reports are clear, concise, and contain all the necessary information, including the serial number of the test equipment used and a copy of its calibration certificate, creating an unbroken and defensible chain of evidence.
The required compliance steps are dictated primarily by the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), the main government body overseeing the use of ionizing radiation in medicine. Your facility must be licensed by the NNRA, and part of maintaining that license is demonstrating an active Quality Assurance (QA) and Radiation Protection Program, of which dose management is a critical component. Your service provider must also hold a specific license from the NNRA to offer these services. Timelines are crucial; you must submit annual safety reports to the NNRA, and your dose management records are a key part of this submission.
NAFDAC is not typically involved in the service aspect. The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), through its SONCAP program, governs the importation of new imaging equipment, ensuring it meets safety standards before it enters the country, but does not regulate the ongoing service. Your dose management program must ensure the equipment continues to operate according to the international standards it was certified against, such as those from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
The preventive maintenance (PM) schedule for a dose management program involves quarterly or semi-annual on-site performance verification visits, with the entire process taking 2-4 hours per major system like a CT scanner. This is a specialized physics-based PM, distinct from the mechanical and electronic PM performed on the hardware. It is performed by a medical physicist or a specially trained biomedical engineer using calibrated dosimeters and phantoms. All results are logged digitally to track performance trends over time.
The goal is to proactively detect and correct any drift in the machine's radiation output or image quality before it affects patient safety or diagnostic accuracy. This scheduled maintenance is the foundation of a successful and compliant dose management program.
The emergency response process for a dose-related issue begins with immediate remote triage by a senior physicist or engineer, with an initial response within 4 hours. If your staff reports a suspected patient over-exposure or a critical dose alert from the system, the first step is to quarantine the equipment and gather all relevant data. Our remote team will analyze the DICOM data and system logs to determine if the issue is due to user error, a protocol mistake, or a genuine equipment malfunction.
If an equipment fault is suspected, we will immediately escalate the issue to your hardware maintenance provider (whether it's the OEM or a third party) with a detailed technical brief on our findings. This collaborative approach ensures the right team is dispatched quickly with the right information. While the dose management service doesn't perform the physical repair, it plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and post-repair verification.
Spare parts availability for dose-monitoring components like Dose Area Product (DAP) meters, internal sensors, and specialized filters is limited in Nigeria, with lead times of 4-8 weeks for most imported items due to customs clearance. While a dose management service provider does not typically stock these parts, a good one like Franance has the OEM relationships and logistics expertise to source them efficiently on your behalf. We ensure that any part we help you procure is authentic, comes with a valid warranty, and is the correct revision for your specific system.
Our role is to diagnose the failure of a dose-related component and provide you with the exact part number and specification required. We can then manage the procurement process, leveraging our established supply chains to minimize downtime. This is a value-added service that prevents you from ordering the wrong part or experiencing excessive delays.
Training scope covers practical, role-based education for your radiographers, radiologists, and biomedical staff, typically delivered in 2-4 hour on-site sessions or via virtual classrooms. The handover process involves a formal walkthrough of the final reports, explaining the findings and recommendations, and providing access credentials and training for any software or reporting dashboards. For radiographers, training focuses on how to use system features to minimize dose (e.g., automatic tube current modulation) and select the correct protocols. For radiologists, it covers understanding dose reports and participating in protocol optimization.
We track competency through post-training assessments and provide signed attendance records for your HR and regulatory files. Refresher training is recommended annually to cover new techniques and staff turnover. The goal is to build a sustainable culture of radiation safety within your team.
A Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) provides a centralized digital record of your dose management program, tracking key performance and compliance KPIs for each imaging asset. As part of our service, we help you maintain this inventory by applying unique asset tags to each machine and ensuring all service activities, reports, and certificates are logged against the correct asset in the CMMS. This creates a complete, auditable history for every piece of equipment.
The KPIs we track in the CMMS include dose-specific metrics like the average CTDIvol for key procedures and service-related metrics like Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) for dose-related components and SLA attainment for report delivery. A dashboard provides you with an at-a-glance view of your entire department's compliance status, helping you identify underperforming equipment or areas needing further training.
A power audit is a systematic process to assess the quality of the electrical supply to your sensitive imaging equipment, which is critical in Nigeria's unstable power environment. The process involves connecting a specialized power quality analyzer to the equipment's incoming power line for a period of 24-72 hours to log voltage fluctuations, frequency instability, harmonics, and other disturbances. The outcome is a detailed report that identifies power-related risks and provides precise recommendations for mitigation, such as the required kVA rating and runtime for a UPS or the specific type of voltage stabilizer needed.
Poor power quality can cause erratic behavior in an X-ray generator or CT scanner's high-voltage systems, leading to inconsistent radiation output and dose inaccuracies. A power audit is therefore a crucial foundational step to ensure the reliability of your dose management program's measurements.
The relocation process for an imaging system involves a mandatory dose and performance verification at multiple stages, with a typical timeline of 1-2 weeks and costs dependent on the system's complexity and travel distance. Before the move, we perform a full baseline performance test to document its current state. After it is dismantled, transported by a specialized logistics team, and reinstalled at the new location, we conduct a complete commissioning and acceptance testing procedure. This is not optional; it is required to ensure the system was not damaged in transit and is safe to use on patients.
This re-commissioning process repeats the full suite of dosimetry and image quality tests that were done when the machine was first installed. The results are compared against the baseline data and manufacturer specifications. Only after it passes all tests and is certified by our physicist/engineer can the machine be put back into clinical service. We also assist with the necessary NNRA notifications for relocating a radiation source.
The deinstallation process involves safely dismantling the equipment in compliance with environmental and radiation safety regulations, with costs varying based on the system's size and location. The process must adhere to strict Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) protocols. We ensure the system is electrically isolated, and any hazardous materials, such as beryllium in older X-ray tubes or lead shielding, are handled and segregated according to regulations.
A critical step is the secure sanitization of all patient data from hard drives and system memory, for which we provide a Certificate of Data Destruction. We manage the chain-of-custody for the decommissioned equipment, ensuring it is disposed of via approved, environmentally responsible channels, and provide you with the documentation required by the NNRA to officially take the system off your license.
The quality control (QC) process involves scheduled, routine testing of your imaging equipment to verify that its performance has not degraded over time, with a frequency of every six or twelve months. This is the core activity of the dose management service. We use specialized phantoms and calibrated dosimeters to objectively measure key performance indicators related to both radiation dose and image quality.
This isn't just about a single pass/fail test. We perform trend analysis, comparing the results of each QC visit to previous ones. This allows us to detect slow degradation in components like an X-ray tube or a detector long before it causes a catastrophic failure or a noticeable decline in image quality. If a parameter is drifting towards a failure threshold, we can alert you and your maintenance provider to take proactive action.
Electrical safety testing is a mandatory annual process where we test every medical device, including your imaging systems, to ensure it complies with the IEC 60601-1 standard for patient and operator safety. The test involves using a calibrated electrical safety analyzer to measure parameters like earth continuity, insulation resistance, and various leakage currents (earth, patient, and enclosure). The process is quick, taking about 15-30 minutes per device.
Upon successful completion, we affix a pass/fail sticker to the device showing the test date and next due date. You also receive a detailed digital report for each asset, which is critical documentation for any hospital accreditation or regulatory inspection. This service is often bundled with dose management and PM visits for maximum efficiency.
The key metrics tracked are a mix of clinical dose indicators and service delivery KPIs, with reports delivered quarterly and annually via a secure online dashboard. Clinical KPIs include your facility's median dose for key procedures (e.g., adult head CT, pediatric chest X-ray), the percentage of studies that exceed established notification levels, and the performance of each scanner relative to others in your network. Service KPIs include Uptime Percentage (for the monitoring software), First Visit Fix Rate (for resolving identified issues), and SLA Attainment for report delivery.
Franance provides a comprehensive reporting package. Quarterly reports give you an operational snapshot, while the Annual Report provides a strategic overview with trend analysis and benchmarking. Our client dashboard allows you to access this information on-demand, empowering you with the data needed for clinical governance, quality improvement, and regulatory compliance.
Payment options are flexible, with the most common being an upfront annual payment for the entire contract or milestone billing on a quarterly basis. For new clients or large projects, we may require a 50% advance payment with the balance due upon delivery of the first report. We can also accommodate the requirements of government procurement (e.g., use of Treasury Single Account - TSA) and NGO funding cycles.
Franance understands the cash flow challenges in the Nigerian healthcare sector and offers flexible credit terms to established clients. For comprehensive, multi-year contracts, we can structure performance bonds to provide you with financial assurance. Our goal is to create a payment plan that aligns with your budgeting process, whether you are a federal medical center, a private hospital, or an NGO-supported site.
Franance provides nationwide Dose Management Program services, with primary operational hubs and engineering teams located in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano. This strategic positioning allows us to serve clients efficiently across all six geopolitical zones, from the largest teaching hospitals in urban centers to mission hospitals in more remote areas. Our service is available to you regardless of your location.
Our coverage model is a hybrid of regionally-based engineers for rapid deployment and centrally-planned service routes that allow us to visit facilities in states like Sokoto, Maiduguri, or Calabar in a cost-effective manner. All clients have access to our 24/7 remote technical support desk in Lagos, ensuring you always have an expert to talk to. We have proven logistics for moving people and equipment across the country safely and reliably.
Share your requirements for rollout, training and SLAs. Our service desk will prepare budgets, documentation and timelines aligned to your facility.
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A dose management program costs between ₦1.5M and ₦5M annually per high-dose modality, depending on the service level. Basic monitoring for a GE Optima CT540 might be at the lower end, while a comprehensive program for a Siemens Artis Q Cath Lab with physics support and NNRA reporting will be higher. Ad-hoc services are cheaper initially but lack proactive management, leading to higher long-term costs and compliance risks.
The service works by automatically collecting radiation dose data from your imaging equipment, like a Philips Ingenuity CT, and analyzing it against Nigerian diagnostic reference levels (DRLs). If a scan on your Siemens Artis zee exceeds a set threshold, an alert is sent to your radiographer and our clinical specialist for immediate review and protocol optimization. This ensures patient safety and simplifies NNRA compliance reporting.
Select a provider with certified medical physicists and application specialists on staff, not just engineers. Verify their experience with your specific equipment, such as the GE Revolution CT series, and ask for case studies from Nigerian hospitals. A key differentiator is their ability to provide on-site support and training in cities like Lagos or Abuja, not just remote software monitoring.
A comprehensive SOW includes an initial system audit, software installation, and integration with your RIS/PACS. It specifies quarterly dose report generation, annual physics review for each modality like a Siemens Somatom CT, and on-demand support with a 4-hour response SLA. The SOW must also detail the process for generating NNRA compliance documentation and schedules for staff training.
Outsourcing is typically more effective and cost-efficient for most Nigerian facilities. An in-house program requires hiring a full-time medical physicist and investing in expensive software, which is often unfeasible. Outsourcing to a specialized provider gives you access to a team of experts and advanced tools for a fraction of the cost, ensuring consistent monitoring for equipment like your GE Optima CT680.
The service ensures compliance by automating the collection and documentation of all radiation dose data as required by the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA). It generates specific reports for audits, tracks personnel dosimetry, and provides evidence of protocol optimization. For example, it documents corrective actions taken when a pediatric protocol on a Philips CT scanner was adjusted to lower dose, satisfying NNRA's ALARA principle.
The immediate response is to notify the provider's on-call medical physicist, typically within 15 minutes via a dedicated hotline. The physicist will remotely analyze the scan data from the specific machine, for instance a GE Discovery PET/CT. They will then guide your team on immediate patient communication and documentation, and initiate a root cause analysis within 24 hours to prevent recurrence, as per NNRA incident reporting guidelines.
No, standard Preventive Maintenance (PM) focuses on mechanical and electronic functions, not dose accuracy. A separate physics quality assurance (QA) test is required to verify the dose output (CTDIvol) of your GE Optima CT. A comprehensive dose management program includes this annual QA test, ensuring the dose displayed on the console matches the actual dose delivered, which is a critical NNRA requirement.
Implementation follows a 4-step process over 2-4 weeks. Step 1: On-site technical assessment of your network and imaging modalities like a Siemens Artis Q. Step 2: Installation of the data collection software. Step 3: System configuration and establishment of local DRLs and alert thresholds. Step 4: On-site training for all radiographers and radiologists on using the system and responding to alerts.
An Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) for dose management typically covers software updates and remote support. A Comprehensive Maintenance Contract (CMC) is more inclusive, adding annual on-site physics testing, NNRA audit support, and regular protocol optimization sessions for your equipment, like a Philips Azurion Cath Lab. A CMC costs 30-50% more but provides complete compliance and safety management.
The typical timeline is 30 days from contract signing to full operation. Week 1 involves a technical site survey and network assessment. Week 2 is for installing the dose monitoring software and connecting modalities like your GE Optima CT660. Weeks 3 and 4 are dedicated to system configuration, establishing alert levels, and conducting comprehensive on-site training for your clinical staff.
A full dose output calibration by a medical physicist should be performed annually for any CT scanner, such as a Siemens Somatom go.Up, as per NNRA guidelines. This is not part of a standard engineering PM. Additionally, daily QA checks using a water phantom should be performed by radiographers to ensure consistent output. The dose management service tracks and documents all these activities for compliance.
OEM services from GE, Siemens, or Philips are often tied to their specific equipment and can be more expensive. A reputable third-party provider in Nigeria offers a vendor-neutral solution that can monitor your entire fleet, from a GE CT to a Siemens C-arm, on a single platform. This provides unified reporting and often more flexible, cost-effective service plans tailored to the Nigerian market.
Yes, bundled packages are a cost-effective option. A typical bundle includes the dose management software, annual physics QA, and a Comprehensive Maintenance Contract (CMC) for your imaging system, like a Philips Ingenuity CT. This single contract simplifies procurement and ensures both the equipment's physical performance and its radiation output are managed by one accountable partner, often leading to a 15-20% cost saving.
Nigerian facilities must maintain a detailed log of patient dose for every radiological procedure, specifically CTDIvol and DLP for CT scans. The NNRA requires you to establish and regularly review local Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs). You must also have a documented quality assurance program that includes annual dose output checks by a qualified medical physicist. A dose management service automates this entire documentation and reporting process.
Integration is achieved using standard healthcare protocols like DICOM and HL7. The dose management software receives dose information via DICOM SR (Structured Reports) directly from your modality, like a GE Revolution EVO CT. It then queries your RIS/PACS via HL7 to retrieve patient demographics and study details. This ensures dose data is accurately matched to the correct patient record without manual entry.
The provider must have a team with diverse qualifications. Their field engineers should be certified to service your specific equipment, like a Siemens Artis zee. Crucially, they must also have certified medical physicists for dose audits and clinical application specialists who can train your radiographers on protocol optimization. A provider with only IT or engineering staff cannot offer a complete dose management solution.
You will receive a comprehensive compliance package for NNRA audits. This includes annual medical physics reports for each modality (e.g., your Philips Vereos PET/CT), records of daily QA checks, and quarterly dose summary reports showing trends and outliers. It also includes documentation of any corrective actions taken, such as protocol changes or staff retraining, providing clear evidence of your commitment to the ALARA principle.
For critical dose incidents, a medical physicist can be on-site in major cities like Lagos, Abuja, or Port Harcourt within 24 hours. For non-critical but urgent issues, a 48-hour on-site response is standard. However, over 90% of dose-related queries and initial incident investigations can be resolved remotely within 2-4 hours by analyzing the data from your Siemens Somatom CT, minimizing operational downtime.
Initial user training for radiographers and radiologists takes approximately 4-6 hours. This is typically conducted on-site over one or two sessions after the system is installed. The training covers using the dashboard, understanding dose alerts on equipment like the Philips IntelliVue MP70, and basic troubleshooting. We also provide ongoing support and advanced training on protocol optimization as part of the service agreement.
Franance can make a comprehensive dose management program affordable by converting the upfront annual cost into manageable monthly payments. Instead of a single large payment for a service covering your GE Optima CT and Siemens C-arm, Franance allows you to spread the cost over 12 months. This improves your cash flow and allows you to implement this critical safety and compliance tool without a major capital outlay.
A nationwide provider is generally a better choice for long-term stability and support. While a regional provider in Kano might offer a lower price, they may lack the depth of expertise across multiple brands like GE, Siemens, and Philips. A nationwide provider ensures access to a larger pool of certified physicists and engineers, guaranteeing consistent support and faster access to spare parts, regardless of your location.
You can expect a suite of automated and on-demand reports. Standard reports include monthly summaries of dose levels per modality, like your GE Discovery IQ PET/CT, and comparisons against your established DRLs. You will also receive quarterly trend analysis reports and immediate email alerts for any significant dose events. All reports are formatted to be easily presentable for clinical governance meetings and NNRA audits.
Yes, a key advantage of our service is its vendor-neutral platform. We can seamlessly collect and analyze dose data from all major manufacturers in a single system. This means you can monitor your Siemens Somatom CT, GE Optima MR, and Philips Azurion Cath Lab from one central dashboard. This provides a complete, facility-wide overview of radiation safety, which is impossible with OEM-specific solutions.
We manage pediatric dose by establishing specific, lower alert thresholds and DRLs for different age and weight categories, a critical compliance point. When a pediatric exam is performed on a machine like a GE Brivo CT385, the system automatically applies these stricter limits. If a limit is exceeded, an immediate alert is triggered for review by a pediatric radiologist and our clinical specialist to ensure protocols are optimized.
We troubleshoot dose creep by first analyzing historical data from your Siemens Somatom to identify trends. Our application specialist will then work with your radiographers to review protocols, particularly the use of automatic exposure control (AEC) settings. If protocols are correct, we dispatch an engineer to perform a QA check on the x-ray tube and detectors, as a degrading tube is a common cause of dose creep.
Yes, we offer nationwide coverage across Nigeria. While our primary support hubs are in Lagos and Abuja for the fastest on-site response, we have a network of field engineers and partner physicists to support facilities in other states. For a hospital in Enugu or Kaduna, we guarantee a 48-hour on-site response for critical issues and provide robust remote support for all other needs, ensuring consistent service quality.
Standard payment terms require a 100% upfront payment for an annual contract. This can be a significant cash flow challenge for many facilities. To address this, we offer flexible options, including quarterly payments with a small surcharge. Alternatively, using a financing partner like Franance allows you to break the annual cost into 12 equal monthly payments, making the service much more accessible without impacting your operational budget.
The Service Level Agreement (SLA) for a high-dose alert is tiered. Critical alerts, indicating a potential gross overexposure on a machine like a Philips Ingenuity CT, receive a response from our on-call physicist within 1 hour. High-priority alerts, where a scan moderately exceeds local DRLs, are reviewed within 4 business hours. All alerts are tracked from detection to resolution, with a full report provided.
The IT requirements are minimal. Our system uses a small on-site appliance or virtual machine that requires a dedicated network port and a static IP address. It needs network access to your imaging modalities, such as a Siemens Artis Q, and your PACS server on the relevant DICOM ports. All data transmitted externally to our secure cloud for analysis is fully anonymized and encrypted, ensuring patient data privacy.