Primary care doctors guide us through our healthcare journey with compassionate, individualized care and are a trusted resource for families. They know us well, and for many, the relationship with a primary care physician can be lifelong. While a primary care doctor’s investment of her time and talents is paramount, he or she also needs to be continuously equipped with innovative technologies to perform at the top of their license.
Handheld ultrasounds are one example of these technologies. In a recent survey from GE Healthcare, two out of three primary care doctors who use handheld ultrasound devices said they feel it positively impacts their practice . As doctors continue to discover the value of this technology in assessing and diagnosing patients at the point of care, we can expect to see more primary care physicians embrace handheld ultrasound thanks to solutions that are intuitive and fast at increasingly affordable prices.
Patients too are taking notice. In a similar survey, 52% of consumers said they think their doctor should make use of the latest medical technology when affordable.
So, what’s ahead for handheld ultrasound technology, and how will it benefit primary care?
Increased artificial intelligence integration will support better diagnostics Artificial intelligence (AI) has had an impact on numerous aspects of healthcare delivery by enabling faster and more precise care. When it comes to handheld ultrasound, AI can reduce time-consuming and repetitive tasks and improve image quality, potentially leading to a faster and more accurate diagnosis.
Take, for example, an AI-powered cardiac application that guides clinicians to capture an image and then analyze it. This reduces the need for visual estimation and boosts diagnostic confidence as a result. It also helps create consistency across users, as one may be more liberal with his measurements, while another may be more conservative with hers.
AI will help enable primary care doctors scan, diagnose and treat a wider range of patients across a broad spectrum of conditions, and provide crucial information more quickly. And we’ve only scratched the surface. As AI evolves, so will handheld ultrasound technology to bring in new users and enable new uses.
Handheld ultrasound devices will continue to be easier to use Many doctors cite training and ease of use as barriers to adoption; however, this is slowly but surely changing.With increased technical advancements,handheld ultrasound devices are becoming more intuitive and easier to navigate.
