GE HealthCare has earned what it says is the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance for a device that facilitates remote patient scanning.
The Chicago-based manufacturer announced the news Nov. 21, noting that its new version of Digital Expert Access is compatible with its family of magnetic resonance imaging devices. Along with real-time remote console control, GE said the product allows radiologists to share expertise, best practices and “in-the-moment” advice with other members of the care team.
“The ability to seamlessly bridge multiple locations, users and devices enables technologists to share knowledge, improves exam workflows, speeds up decision-making and helps achieve clinical and efficiency goals,” Jan Makela, president and CEO of imaging at GE HealthCare, said in an announcement. “With a shortage of radiologists, it is also key for facilities to be able to leverage the skills of one expert across multiple physical locations.”
Digital Expert Access is a real-time, virtual solution, useable within a single hospital or across multiple locations. It lets providers initiate an MRI scan from locations both in or outside of the radiology suite, or across any clinical facility, “as long as aligned with respective regional regulations and safety guidelines.”
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.