Since the cost of the service is not covered by any provincial health plan there is no requirement for medical professional referral. We welcome medical referrals but they are not necessary so the patient may refer themselves.
Unlike DXA, the REMS technology is designed to be fully mobile if required. Therefore the offering of the service can be more versatile as it can be offered from a clinic setting or travel to the patient if required i.e. seniors home.
REMS addresses many of the shortcomings of DXA:
• calculates a more accurate level of bone density,
• is more sensitive to change in bone density so can assess treatment programs more frequently.
DXA requires a change of 5-6% in bone density whereas REMS can detect changes of 0.5-1% or 400-900% increase in sensitivity. DXA requires about 2 yrs to see a difference whereas REMS can see change in 3-6 months.
DXA utilizes x-rays to assess bone health, REMS utilizes ultrasound to assess bone health so is safe for everyone.
REMS not only assess the density of bone but also assess the microarchitecture of the bone to assess the quality of the bone. This assessment is expressed numerically in a fragility index. This value is combined with the calculated density score to produce a 5 year risk factor of fracture.
REMS utilizes a database of over 100,000 patients to perform required calculations for the bone density score. The analysis of the received information concerning the microarchitecture is also done immediately. This allows the system to produce a complete report in less than 2 minutes following the conclusion of the exams (80 second scan for the spine and 40 seconds scan for the hip).