GE Healthcare has entered into agreements with USP Hospitales, Spain and Federico II, University of Naples, Italy to launch the first European clinical impact evaluations using Vscan, GE’s new pocket-sized visualization tool that houses ultrasound technology. The company claims that Vscan has the potential to help redefine the physical exam and improve patient care by enhancing the doctor’s ability to quickly assess patients.
Over the next few months, over twenty medical professionals in Italy and Spain will participate in the multi-centre clinical impact evaluations to study the device and assess its potential impact on patient care and help develop specific medical protocols for its use in a number of clinical settings;
For General Practitioners, Vscan has the potential to help redefine the physical check up by providing an immediate look inside the body and visualizing what doctors feel and hear
For Intensive Care, Vscan offers doctors an immediate look beyond patient vital signs with the potential to identify critical issues, like fluid around the heart, which could be a sign of congestive heart failure
For Cardiologists, Vscan provides at a glance a dependable visual evaluation of how well the heart is pumping, so they can treat patients more efficiently
Vscan is a non-invasive visualization tool that can help doctors perform more focused physical examinations and provide additional information with immediate assessment, which may help enhance patient care, potentially reduce wait times and improve physician workflow.
“Embedded as part of our healthymagination initiative, Vscan is an innovative technology that we hope will redefine patient check-ups and point-of-care decision making. At GE Healthcare we are proud to have long standing collaborations with key European institutions such as USP Hospitales and the University of Naples, as it is only together that we become better positioned for transforming healthcare delivery,” said Reinaldo Garcia, President and CEO of GE Healthcare, Europe Middle East and Africa.
Multi-centre clinical impact evaluations will take place across 5 sites in Italy (Naples, Milan, Siena and Lecco), and in Spain starting in Barcelona, with a view to broaden its use in other sites belonging to USP Hospitales’ network across Spain.
“We are very excited to be evaluating this innovative technology across Italy as this tool could broaden access to more patients but also, help reduce the cost of unnecessary examinations, thereby addressing some of the healthcare burden issues we face in Italy today,” said Dr Maurizio Galderisi, Responsible for Echocardiography Laboratory, Cardioangiology with CCU, at the Department of Internal Medicine, Federico II, Naples, Italy. “It could make point-of-care imaging a practical reality,” concluded Galderisi.
“It is great to see Spain at the forefront of innovative medical research, and USP has been doing this with GE Healthcare since 2005, the beginning of our collaboration focusing on achieving innovative healthcare solutions leveraging world-class technology, such as services and management techniques,” said Gabriel Masfurroll, Founder, Chairman & CEO, USP Hospitales, Spain. “Today, Vscan is used at USP Dexeus but this innovation will become part of a multi-centre study as it gets rolled out to other targeted USP sites. We are truly excited to be using this innovative pocket sized visualization tool and see if it becomes as indispensable as the stethoscope.” concluded Masfurroll.