27 October 2011
Lombardia Ministry of Health Launches First of its Kind Project by Equipping Local General Practitioners with GE’s Vscan
Milan, Italy - October 27, 2011 – GE Healthcare has announced today that 135 units of its pocket-sized, ultrasound medical imaging device, Vscan, have been purchased by the Lombardia Ministry of Health in Italy for use by general practitioners in the region. Over the next couple of months, more than 30 general practitioners will be incorporating Vscan in the physical examinations of patients with intentions of improving the overall healthcare provided to those living in the area.
By using Vscan, the doctors are attempting to leverage the clinical advantages of the technology while simultaneously documenting what impact the ultrasound device is having in improving the region’s healthcare system. This effort by Lombardia Ministry of Health is not only the first of its kind for Italy, but also unique to Europe.
With the assistance, training and support by local Internal Medicine Ultrasound Specialists, the general practitioners will integrate Vscan into their daily efforts and will document the improvements the device is having on the local healthcare system across a variety of clinical areas.
“This commitment by the Lombardia Ministry of Health is a ground-breaking effort showcasing the incredible impact the local government can have in helping improve the care provided to citizens,” said Agnes Berzsenyi, General Manager of Primary Care for GE Healthcare. “We share a similar commitment to improved patient care like the Lombardia Ministry of Health and the deployment of Vscan units in the region will be a tremendous benefit for doctors to provide high-quality, convenient, customized care for patients.”
Vscan is a pocket-sized, portable visualization tool developed to provide physicians with imaging capabilities at the point-of-care in many clinical, hospital or primary care settings. Roughly the size of a smart phone, Vscan houses powerful, ultra-smart ultrasound technology that provides clinicians with an immediate, non-invasive quick look inside the body.
By incorporating Vscan into their practice, the ability to take a quick look inside the body may improve the diagnostic confidence of general practitioners in Lombardia at the point of care, improve the quality of referrals and triage of patients and potentially optimize and even reduce healthcare costs experienced in the area.
The Vscan is a prescription device for ultrasound imaging, measurement and analysis in the clinical applications of abdominal; cardiac (adult and pediatric); urology, fetal/OB; pediatric; and thoracic/pleural motion and fluid detection, as well as for patient examination in primary care and in special care areas.
“We expect the Vscan units to have tremendous impact on the healthcare provided to the people of the Lombardia region,” said Dr. Carlo Lucchina, General Director of Lombardia Ministry of Health. “Vscan has shown potential to help physicians obtain more information, and promptly send the right patient to the right test. Considering this, we are hoping to improve the efficiency of our healthcare system in Lombardia but also validate this new approach and promote to all the other Italian regions and outside in Europe.”
About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.
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