The ndd Medical Technologies, a leader in innovative mobile pulmonary function testing (PFT) employing precise ultrasound technology, announced that its EasyOne Pro is now being used by the Choctaw Nation Healthcare Center, a 140,000 square foot, 44-bed hospital with many outpatient services.
The Talihina, Oklahoma hospital serves a large number of Native Americans from several tribes living in southeastern Oklahoma and beyond. A portion of its funding comes from the Indian Health Service.
"EasyOne Pro is very easy to operate, the test is easy for patients, and we love it," said Kenneth Leland Maddox, manager of one of the hospital’s multi-specialty clinics. "Our pulmonologist wanted to be able to diagnose pulmonary disease better and quicker and having the EasyOne Pro in our clinic enables us to do that."
With a footprint of a mere 12-square-inches, EasyOne Pro performs single breath DLCO measurement outside of the PFT lab — in clinics, doctors’ offices and at the patient bedside. The test, which measures diffusion capacity, is the most powerful predictor of survival for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Approximately 12 million adults in the U.S. suffer from COPD, with an equal number thought to be undiagnosed, highlighting the need for better detection.
Death rates for Native Americans were nearly 50 percent greater than rates among non-Hispanic whites from 1999-2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The Choctaw Nation aims to address health disparities in a number of ways, including investing in earlier diagnosis using the latest technology.
Maddox said that the Choctaw Nation will likely purchase additional EasyOne Pro units for its satellite clinics. Members of the Choctaw Nation and other federally recognized tribes are treated at the Choctaw Indian Health Care Center at no charge.
COPD is the umbrella term for a variety of progressive lung diseases — most commonly emphysema and chronic bronchitis — marked by damaged lung tissue, making it difficult to breathe.
With 40% of the US spirometry market share, ndd Medical Technologies offers innovative, easy-to-use pulmonary function testing instruments that help clinicians diagnose lung disease with greater precision for optimal treatment.