In short: A new ultrasound system pays off when the whole team uses it well, the images reach the patient record without extra clicks, and the presets match the exams you actually do. That takes about 90 days: installation and DICOM in week one, applications training and presets in the first month, a review of workflows and a second training session by month three. This checklist is how Meditron SA, the official Samsung Healthcare distributor in Switzerland, runs it with practices.

Key takeaways

• Week 1: installation, DICOM connection to practice software or PACS, user accounts, first presets, first training.

• Month 1: the team scans daily, presets are adjusted to your exams, reporting templates are set up.

• Month 3: review the numbers, run a second applications session, fix the remaining workflow gaps, confirm the service plan.

• The most common mistake is skipping the second training. The first session teaches the buttons; the second makes the system fast.

• Keep the probes safe: cleaning, cable handling and storage decide the repair bill for years.

Last reviewed: September 2026. Author: Christelle Sam-Hine, Applications Specialist Ultrasound.

What should be ready before the system is delivered?

• The room. Power socket, network point, space for the system and for the operator on both sides of the bed. A Samsung console needs roughly 56 to 63 cm width plus room to move; a compact cart about 56 × 63 cm.

• Practice software details. Name and version of your practice software or PACS, the contact at the vendor, and whether a DICOM worklist is available. This decides how fast images reach the patient record.

• Users. Who scans, who reports, who administers. User accounts and access levels are set at installation.

• Exam list. The ten exams you do most. Meditron uses this to build the first presets.

What happens in week one?

1. Delivery and installation. Meditron's service engineer sets up the system, the probes and the peripherals and runs the acceptance test.

2. DICOM connection. Images, measurements and reports are sent to your practice software or PACS. A DICOM worklist, where available, brings patient data to the system so nothing is typed twice.

3. Accounts and presets. User accounts, exam presets for your top exams, report templates and the archive settings.

4. First applications training. An applications specialist works through your exam types with the team on the system: knobology, presets, measurements, reporting. Plan half a day with the whole team present.

What should happen in the first month?

• Scan daily. The team should use the new system for every ultrasound exam from day one, not alongside the old one.

• Adjust presets. After two weeks of real exams, note what takes too many clicks. The applications specialist adjusts presets, measurement packages and report templates remotely or on site.

• Check the data flow. Are images in the patient record within minutes? Are reports complete? Fix any gap now, while the vendor contacts are fresh.

• Record the questions. Keep a list of open questions for the second training session.

What should happen by month three?

• Second applications training. Now that the team knows the basics, the second session covers advanced features you paid for: automation, quantification tools, 3D/4D, elastography, and the shortcuts that make exams fast.

• Review the numbers. Exams per day, time per exam, reports finished on the same day. Compare with the old system.

• Confirm the service plan. Preventive maintenance dates, probe checks, software updates and the contact for support.

• Onboard latecomers. New staff or colleagues who missed the first sessions get their own short training.

How do I look after the probes from day one?

Probes are the most expensive and most fragile part of the system. Four habits protect them:

• Cleaning and disinfection according to the manufacturer's instructions and your hygiene concept, with approved agents only.

• Cable handling. No sharp bends, no cable under the wheels, no probe left hanging by the cable.

• Storage. Probes in their holders, lens protected, never on the edge of the bed.

• Regular checks. Look at the lens and cable weekly; ask for an element test at each preventive maintenance.

Which five mistakes should I avoid?

1. Running old and new systems in parallel for months. The team never learns the new one.

2. Skipping the second training. The advanced features you paid for stay unused.

3. Leaving factory presets. Presets tuned to your exams save minutes per patient.

4. No DICOM worklist. Typing patient data twice costs time and causes errors.

5. Ignoring the probes. Most unplanned repair costs come from damaged probes.

Next step

Book an applications training or ask about service contracts. Related: which Samsung ultrasound system is right for my practice. Overview of all models: Samsung ultrasound at Meditron.

Sources: Meditron SA installation, applications and service practice; Samsung Healthcare product specifications (as listed on meditron.ch).

Author: Christelle Sam-Hine, Applications Specialist Ultrasound, Meditron SA. Reviewed by: Dr. Henri Hagenmüller, Managing Director. Last updated: September 2026.