United Medical Instruments - Diagnostic Ultrasound Blog!

Physicians from many specialties are prescribing exercise for health conditions such as: obesity, heart disease, elevated cholesterol, stress, high blood pressure and musculoskeletal disorders such as arthritis and osteoporosis.

Topics: msk ultrasound, musculoskeletal ultrasound, UMI Blog, Diagnostic Ultrasound, laptop ultrasound machine, pain management ultrasound, ultrasound guidance joint injections

There are more people present and living longer than in the past.  For sonographic professionals this means a range of patient services are needed to meet the health demands of the population.  
Diagnostic ultrasound covers a range of clinical applications including:

• Primary Care
• Echocardiography
• Vascular
• OB/GYN
• Pain Management

For physicians considering ways to diversify patient services, ultrasound is an excellent diagnostic tool to improve patient care. Many options for ultrasound machines are available, meeting budgetary requirements.  The cost of an ultrasound machine may be less expensive than you thought.  Choices are available for cart-based or portable ultrasound machines, allowing for practice flexibility.

Below are 10 reasons to include diagnostic ultrasound in your practice:

 

Topics: portable ultrasound machine, cost of ultrasound machine, Diagnostic Ultrasound, ob/gyn ultrasound, laptop ultrasound machine, portable ultrasound system, Used Ultrasound Machine, pain management ultrasound, cart based ultrasound machine

Advances in ultrasound machines have expanded in the years to now rival image quality of more expensive imaging modalities such as MRI and CT, yet at the fraction of the price and yielding real time results for improved patient care.

With a growing aged population and pressure to provide improved patient services, in-office diagnostic ultrasound exams continue to grow.  From portable ultrasound machines to cart-based, and with a price range for every budget - whether a new or refurbished ultrasound machine, if you're looking to improve patient care, it's time to investigate your options.  The clinical applications are vast, enabling physicians to grow their practices.  Some of the popular areas for ultrasound are:

• Breast Imaging
• Cardiology
• Endocrinology
• Family Practice
• MSK/Pain Management/ Orthopedic
• Nephrology
• OB/GYN
• Phlebology
• Podiatry
• Urology
• Vascular

Below are some basic tips to justifying the cost of an ultrasound machine purchase for your practice:

 

Topics: portable ultrasound machine, Diagnostic Ultrasound, portable ultrasound system, compact ultrasound system, Used Ultrasound Machine, pain management ultrasound

Topics: portable ultrasound machine, Diagnostic Ultrasound, Vein Care, ob/gyn ultrasound, laptop ultrasound machine, portable ultrasound system, compact ultrasound system, Used Ultrasound Machine, pain management ultrasound

For years patients have suffered from a variety of pain-type complaints from back pain or knee pain to carpal tunnel syndrome. Advances in medicine and portable ultrasound machines are providing relief for these patients by utilizing ultrasound for needle guided injections. For example, the AC joint at the top of the shoulder is difficult to locate due to its small size and variable anatomy. A 2006 study showed a 60% failure rate for these joint injections, Bisbinas I, et al. Accuracy of needle placement in ACJ injections. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2006 Aug;14(8):762-5.

However, portable ultrasound machines such as the SonoSite M-Turbo or Toshiba Viamo are easy to use and feature a needle visualization software that “lights up” as the needle penetrates the skin and moves toward the area of interest. Clinicians using this technology vary from orthopedic surgeons to rheumatologists to osteopaths. Osteopathic medicine in particular is primed to embrace this technology as their practice is centered around the musculoskeletal system and joint injections have been part of patient therapy. Utilizing prolotherapy for treatment they are now able to incorporate ultrasound to capture a pre and post image of the joint, tendon or ligament, as well as improve their accuracy in joint injections.

In 2010, a group of rheumatologists conducted a study, led by Wilmer Sibbitt, Jr., M.D from University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, which found that there was a 107% increase in patient response rate when utilizing ultrasound for needle guided injections compared to joint injections given by palpation only. In addition, “study results showed the ultrasound method led to a 14.6% (US$48) reduction in cost per participant per year and a 58.8% ($593) reduction in the cost per hospital-outpatient participant who responded to the treatment.”

Physicians describe the preferred ultrasound system to be portable, have high resolution imaging, a high frequency transducer, and be non-cumbersome since they are typically holding the probe with one hand and injecting with the other.

Topics: Toshiba Viamo, portable ultrasound machine, laptop ultrasound machine, portable ultrasound system, compact ultrasound system, pain management ultrasound, Toshiba Ultrasound