Pediatric design turns scary MRIs into ‘Adventures’

Even for adults, getting an MRI can sometimes be an intimating experience. For children, it can be downright scary — with 70 to 80 percent having to be sedated before they receive diagnostic imaging. That’s why GE Healthcare has been working on its Adventure Series program that uses design to tackle the very real anxiety issue that children face in hospitals. It’s one of the subjects that GE’s Bob Schwartz, General Manager of Global Design, is discussing at this morning’s “Health by Design” panel being held at GE’s healthymagination technology showcase in New York. In the audio slide show below, Bob explains how a pilot program now underway helps the fear drift away through jungle, pirate and undersea adventures that come alive right in the imaging room.

It can include creating a “Child Life Theatre” that acclimates children to the appearance, sound, and feel of medical imaging long before the scans take place; changing the look of the imaging equipment and surrounding radiography room; and rewarding children for their participation.

The end result is decreased use of sedation — and an immensely improved patient and family experience. That kind of real impact that design can have is one of the themes that the “Health by Design” panel — which includes design experts from in and outside of the healthcare industry — is addressing at this morning’s session. You can check back later today for updates from the panel discussion.

By: Ge Healthcare

Vscan pocket-sized, ultra-smart ultrasound unveiled

GE’s drive to miniaturize technologies in order to make them more mobile couldn’t be better illustrated than with the breakthrough Vscan technology that GE’s Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt unveiled during his talk tonight at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. Roughly the size of a smart phone, it houses powerful ultrasound technology that can potentially redefine the way doctors examine patients. By giving doctors a view into the body from the palm of a hand, GE believes that Vscan could one day become as indispensable as the traditional physician’s stethoscope in patient exams.

Jeff Immelt is seen here unveiling the new Vscan technology to the audience at tonight’s Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco.

Pocket-sized technology like Vscan has the potential to help redefine the physical exam and improve patient care by enhancing a doctor’s ability to quickly and accurately make a diagnosis. For critical care clinicians, Vscan can offer 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. And for cardiologists, Vscan provides a dependable visual evaluation of how well the heart is pumping at a glance, so they can treat patients more efficiently.

The handheld ultrasound can reduce the need for specialist referrals, which in turn can lower healthcare costs.

The Vscan debut followed Jeff’s announcement earlier in the evening about the potentially game-changing computerized system that will give real-time clinical data and treatment options to doctors. GE’s next step in developing Vscan is to work with 12 leading clinical sites throughout the world to help determine how the technology will impact patient workflow and focused exams in primary care, critical care and the cardiology practices. The ultimate goal is to develop a structural protocol for Vscan exams.

By: GE Healthcare

Vscan