In cities like Los Angeles, accessing advanced cardiac imaging is not always a matter of medical need. It is often a question of logistics. Even in major metro areas, where advanced technology is available, practical barriers—like scheduling delays, traffic, and long waitlists—can prevent patients from getting scans when they need them.

Many wait weeks for appointments or travel across the city to reach a facility equipped for high-quality cardiac CT. In the San Fernando Valley, a scan that takes just minutes can still cost patients hours.

But these challenges are not unique to LA. Across the country, demand and support for cardiac CT continue to grow, especially as guidelines evolve and preventive care becomes more of a priority. Still, access to diagnostic imaging is limited, particularly outside major hospitals or academic centers. Many facilities allocate only limited time for cardiovascular imaging. Others still require a physician referral before a patient can even schedule a scan.

Importance of timely cardiac CT scans

While the logistical barriers to cardiac CT access inconvenience patients, they also affect the quality of care patients can receive. Many centers still use older-generation scanners not optimized for cardiovascular imaging. These machines often struggle with motion artifacts, require strict heart rate control, and deliver higher radiation doses. For patients with irregular heart rhythms, that can mean non-diagnostic images, the need to rescan, or missed findings altogether.

Meanwhile, the need for earlier diagnosis continues to grow, particularly as heart disease becomes more common in younger adults. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and in 2022, nearly one in five cardiovascular deaths occurred in adults under 65.

Cardiac CT is now recognized as a first-line test for evaluating stable chest pain and assessing coronary artery disease. Major clinical societies support its use as the preferred initial exam in many cases, citing its ability to detect disease early, guide preventive care, and reduce unnecessary invasive procedures. But the scan only makes a difference when patients can access it.

A patient-centered alternative

Today’s scanners are built specifically for cardiovascular use, combining wide anatomical coverage, fast rotation speeds, and single-heartbeat imaging. They capture high-resolution images with lower radiation doses, less contrast, and minimal patient prep.

These systems also reduce motion artifacts, even in patients with high or unstable heart rates, which lowers the likelihood of needing to rescan and helps ensure consistent diagnostic quality on the first attempt. As a result, clinicians can complete scans in minutes and deliver clear results with greater efficiency.

This technology has made it feasible to offer dedicated cardiac CT services outside of traditional hospital systems. Having a dedicated scanner has helped us simplify everything from scheduling to scan interpretation. Patients can schedule directly, review their scans before leaving, and avoid the delays often associated with referral-based workflows.

Giving patients the opportunity to see and understand their own scans adds a level of clarity and engagement that is often missing from traditional imaging experiences. Many also prefer the experience of a smaller and more focused setting. Knowing their scan is being done on specialized equipment and interpreted by a cardiologist gives them confidence in the results.

Offering cardiac CT in an outpatient setting helps avoid the delays that can keep patients from getting diagnosed early, especially those who might not have easy access to hospital-based imaging.

What local cardiac imaging makes possible

Patients are increasingly looking for direct access to diagnostic tools, not because they want to bypass their doctors, but because they want faster answers, fewer steps, and more control over their health. At the same time, imaging technology is advancing. Automation and post-processing tools are making it easier to interpret results more efficiently, while newer scanners allow for fast, low-dose imaging without the infrastructure of a large facility.

Independent outpatient centers are well-positioned to meet that need. They can adapt quickly and deliver high-quality imaging in a more focused and accessible environment, especially in dense urban areas where care options may be plentiful but hard to reach due to population density.

With today’s technology, cardiac CT scans can be done quickly, safely, and accurately in clinics of all sizes. While these scanners continue to serve important roles in hospitals, they also have a clear place in community-based care. Because when it comes to heart health, to see is to know, and knowing earlier makes all the difference. Early efforts like My Heart Vision are helping to show how dedicated outpatient cardiac CT centers can expand access and meet growing patient needs.

Benjamin Cohen is a cardiologist.