Mobile CT, Lung Cancer Screening & Mobile PFTS

Aceso Medical is proud to be deploying another Canadian first.

With support from our colleagues in the UK and United states, we will be rolling out the first Canadian mobile CT Scanner and PFT lab to support rural and indigenous communities.

 A Low Dose CT (LDCT) Scan is a non-invasive advanced X-ray scan that provides a significantly lower dose than regular CTs.

Under the Alberta Lung Cancer Screening program you are eligible if you:

  • Are 50 to 74 years of age, AND
  • Are someone who smokes cigarettes or quit smoking after smoking for many years. For example, you smoked 1 pack per day for at least 15 years, or less than 1 pack per day but for more than 15 years. AND
  • Have a primary care provider such as a family doctor or nurse practitioner

Screening is not an appropriate test to investigate symptoms you may be having.

If you have any of the following symptoms, please consult with your family doctor, call 8-1-1, or visit the emergency department.

  • A cough that does not go away or gets worse
  • Chest pain that does not go away
  • Coughing up blood
  • Feeling short of breath or wheezy

Further information can be found at https://screeningforlife.ca/lung/ or call us at 780-986-8770 Ext 6

The Alberta Lung Cancer self-referral can be found here: https://screeningforlife.ca/lung-cancer-self-referral/

As new criteria is made available, we will update this space.

Yes. While we are still working through the process, our goal is to allow self-referrals to the lung cancer screening program.

Lung Cancer Screening helps with the early detection of Lung Cancer, leading to a significant increase in survivability. Your chances of living 5 years of more goes from less than 6% at stage IV, to over 60 % at stage I. As you often will not have symptoms of lung cancer until stage III or IV, early detection helps save lives.

No. While radiation can be dangerous in high doses, a LDCT has a lower radiation than a normal CT.

  • Radiation Exposure
  • Stress
  • False Positives

If you have concerns about the risks associated with a LDCT, please talk to your Primary Care Provider.

A low dose Lung Cancer Screening only takes a couple minutes. Please plan for 10 minutes from check-in to exiting the truck.

The CT has a weight limit of 307kg (676 lbs). If you need higher capacity, please connect with us so we can help you.

A PFT is a Pulmonary Function Test which is a group of tests used to measure how well your lungs are working. They are often used to diagnose conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other respiratory disorders.

Sadly, no. A referral for a PFT or Spirometry must be done by your primary care provider.

Please plan for one hour for your Pulmonary function test and/ or spirometry tests.

There is no weight limit for the PFT, but you will have to be able to get into the bay door of the van. If you are unable, or have mobility issues, please connect with us so we can assist.

There will be a wheelchair entrance in the CT truck, but unfortunately no wheelchair access in the PFT van.

  • The PFT unit will be by booking only.
  • The CT unit will be a combination of booking and walk-ins to ensure we do not turn anyone away.

PFTs/ Spiro

Please bring your ID, healthcare card and refrain from using your puffer for 24 hours prior to your appointment.

CTs

Please bring you ID and healthcare card. There is no preparation for a Lung Cancer Screening CT, although we ask that you come to your appointment in clothing without metal if possible (avoid zippers, buttons, metal islets, bras with clasps or underwire, and jewelry).

Yes ! Our goal is to make these units a seamless part of your medical journey. All results will be uploaded to Netcare for review by your primary care provider.

At this point we ask that you get any copy of your results from your primary care provider.

Yes, if so requested by your PCP, and medically necessary, we can arrange for home visits. Please email myctscan@acesomedical.com for more details or have your PCP fax us a requisition with “Home Visit Requested” checked off.

Project Information

The Mobile Lung Health initiative is a Canadian first to bring diagnostic care to the people of Alberta. Comprised of a Sprinter based Level 3 PFT lab and a Siemens Go.Up CT scanner, in a custom 41′ truck, we are able to deliver lab quality testing directly to your door. Each unit is fully staffed (Respiratory Therapists, CT Tech and Nurses) and comes with all the equipment needed to complete the tests. Units are radiation shielded and do not require an exclusion zone.

Both the PFT and CT Scanner are fully accredited and adhere to the highest standards of diagnostic testing.

FAQs

We currently provide service to all sites in Alberta with preference given to remote sites or those with limited access to diagnostic care.

As this will be our first year with the project we are unsure how frequently we will be able to visit your locations. Please feel free to request as many days as you reasonably need to service your patient population and we will do our best to accommodate your teams.

  • PFT Unit – Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Slow Vital Capacity (SVC), Body Plethysmography (to obtain FRC/Thoracic Gas Volume (GV) and Airway Resistance (RAW)), Diffusion Capacity (DLCO)
  • Spirometry
  • Occupational Spirometry
  • Lung Cancer LDCT scans

As long as we have space in the schedule, and it is functionally feasible, we can come out the day after the request. In practice, we are hoping to fill up our schedule 1 – 2 months in advance.

 

Yes, the unit has the ability to stay “out in the field” for multiple nights.

Our teams are limited to 10 hours days, inclusive of travel and set-up. At the time of booking we will advise as to the length of time we can stay.

 

As we are fully funded for the first year, there is no cost for no shows. However, management will decide on a case-by-case basis if we are able to visit sites with high levels of no shows in the future.

We are hoping to provide 50 scans in an 8 – 10 hour day.

We do not. The units are fully self-sufficient but access to a 110v outlet is always helpful.

At this point no. We hope to be able to provide this service in the near future and if this is something you would like, please email myctscan@acesomedical.com to request the service.

Want the unit to come to your Clinic?

Requisitions can be faxed to 780 – 986- 8770 ext 7. We will need requisition for all PFTs and spirometry requests.

Yes, your patient can self-refer for CT Lung Cancer Screens. PFTs and Spirometry require a requisition.

Yes, results are interpreted and uploaded to Netcare for your access.

  • PFT Unit – Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Slow Vital Capacity (SVC), Body Plethysmography (to obtain FRC/Thoracic Gas Volume (GV) and Airway Resistance (RAW)), Diffusion Capacity (DLCO).
  • CT Unit – As the focus of the project is Lung Cancer Screening, we are only able to perform LDCT lung scans at the moment. If you would like to see the unit perform more tests, please let us know at myctscan@acesomedical.com.

In special cases we can do home visits. Please contact us at myctscan@acesomedical.com for more details on this service.

No. This is a free service.

Media and Press Releases

This novel project will help address the imbalance of care for Albertans in rural and remote communities with the deployment of mobile, fully functional PFT & CT units These custom built units are slated to start operation in 2025, with the PFT unit deploying in the spring and the CT unit following in the later summer/fall.

 

This unique health service modality, will help increase cancer survivability with early diagnosis, pave the way to further insights into mobile delivery for our healthcare system and also provide critical, flexible diagnostic capacity to high priority communities (such as rural, remote, elderly and Indigenous).

Units will visit high priority areas and screen for lung cancer and other respiratory conditions. Should your community be interested in having the unit visit your municipality, please email myctscan@acesomedical.com for more details.

We are truly excited by this possibility and look forward to working with your healthcare teams

Sponsors

This project couldn’t have been a reality without the generous support of the following organizations