Obesity Rates Impact Community Hospital Technology

Providing effective care for obese patients and minimizing sonographer stress were key requirements when Community Hospital Anderson, an award-winning 207 bed acute care hospital serving Madison County, Ind., was evaluating new ultrasound systems for purchase.

Ultrasound On The Front Lines

Ultrasound is a front line imaging tool for many health conditions, including obesity-related issues, like heart disease and cancer. However, the body habitus of obese patients can put extra stress on sonographers and surpasses the capabilities of many ultrasound systems.

 “We have a number of obese patients,” said Beth Tharp, president and CEO of Community Anderson. “So our search for new ultrasound equipment focused on top of the line technology that could effectively image all the varied patients we serve.”

Community Anderson’s list of evaluation criteria was typical in that it included image quality, technology, ergonomics, and vendor support. But the evaluation team added another crucial requirement — the ability to effectively image at depth.

Evaluation Process Reveals Surprises

The evaluation team brought in systems from four vendors for clinical evaluation, including systems from Esaote North America.

“During the evaluation, we had an OB patient who weighed nearly 300 pounds,” said John Pflum, biomedical supervisor at Community Anderson. “After our sonographers performed the procedure on MyLab Twice, they came back and said the images looked like they were from a patient that only weighed 100 pounds! The image quality at depth was excellent.”

Another patient with a very large knee came in to be imaged during the evaluation. “Based on their experience, the sonographers were initially skeptical that they could see what they needed to see,” said Pflum. “But the system enabled them to successfully image the patient and get physicians the views they needed.”

The MyLab systems Community Anderson evaluated all utilize Esaote’s new eHD Technology, which increases ultrasound’s ability to image with more clarity at greater depth.

Transducer Design Eases Stress

Sonographers were also impressed with Esaote’s ergonomic Appleprobe transducers. The Appleprobe’s innovative design allows sonographers to use a variety of natural grips to reduce stress and easily achieve the pressure required to perform studies.

“I really enjoy scanning with the Appleprobes,” said Ashley Stephens, lead sonographer at Community Anderson. “Not only is the technology within the probe impressive, but the comfortable design is especially important when scanning our larger patients. The ability to scan without pain cannot be overestimated.”

Serving The Entire Community

Community Anderson purchased four MyLab Twice premium cart-based systems to perform both routine and advanced ultrasound exams, including OB/GYN, abdominal, vascular and musculoskeletal imaging. The hospital also acquired two MyLab Alpha laptop-based systems that can run on battery and be easily transported anywhere in the hospital ultrasound is required.

“Our mission is to serve our entire community,” said Tharp. “From infants to obese patients and everyone in-between. The addition of Esaote’s MyLab systems help us deliver on our mission while keeping our sonographers productive and healthy as well.”