Image courtesy of Siemens
November 17, 2015 — USARAD Holdings Inc., a telemedicine and radiology services solutions provider, and Zebra Medical Vision, a software company, announced a new strategic collaboration where Zebra's analytics platform will provide automated imaging analytics tools and decision support algorithms. The first service to be launched is aimed at identifying people with increased risk of osteoporotic bone fracture.
Bone fractures due to osteoporosis are a major public health threat for Americans aged 50 years of age and older. In the United States, over 50 million individuals are estimated to have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis. Nearly 2 million osteoporotic fractures occur annually, and 25 percent of Americans are placed in nursing homes within 12 months of a hip fracture. Though many elderly people have osteoporosis, it is not a normal part of aging and can be prevented. The only quantitative measure of bone health today is a bone mineral density test, which is given when performing a specific imaging study called dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Unfortunately, there is low compliance within the population, and millions of people who are at high risk of a fracture are not aware of their condition, and never undergo a DEXA scan.
"Our new algorithm will allow USARAD and Secondopinions.com to analyze pre-existing or new CT [computed tomography] studies and provide a risk score for osteoporosis-related fractures. USARAD will then be able to alert their physicians, who can decide on the right course of treatment to help reduce or potentially avoid fractures," said Elad Benjamin, Zebra Medical Vision's CEO.
Michael Yuz, USARAD Holdings CEO, remarked, "By using this new service, participating hospitals and imaging centers can improve patient care, reduce fracture rates, increase referrals, all without exposing their patients to additional radiation or tests."
For more information: www.zebra-med.com
