Provider launches at-home ultrasound imaging service to target patients wary of venturing out
A San Diego healthcare provider is launching an at-home ultrasound imaging service to treat patients who may still be wary of venturing to the doctor’s office during the pandemic.
La Jolla Vein Care said Tuesday that it also hopes to target those who have been sitting for extended periods during the pandemic and may have developed corresponding health issues.
“House calls are something many people see as a thing of the past, but with the inactivity of self-quarantine potentially exacerbating underlying vein diseases combined with an overall reluctance to venture out to visit a doctor, we knew something needed to be done,” Nisha Bunke, MD, a venous disease specialist and vein clinic medical director at La Jolla, said in a statement.
For those seeking vein care, La Jolla said the care regimen begins with a telemedicine visit, followed by an at-home encounter using mobile ultrasound imaging to diagnose any underlying venous diseases. They’re covering a large geographic area that spans from San Juan Capistrano to Chula Vista about 70 miles south.
If a patient requires an office visit, the practice is administering temperature checks, using “ample” protective equipment, and has placed several hand-washing stations at its office. They’re also letting patients wait in their cars until they receive a text message.
La Jolla Vein Care Center claims it’s the first company of its kind to offer such direct care to patients in their homes. It noted that teleradiology and other virtual care services are available to patients, without additional convenience fees, during state-manded shelter-in-place orders.
Several major California hospital systems also recently launched an ad campaign aiming to reach patients who have been hesitant to seek care during the pandemic.
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.