Healthcare's (Other) Dirty Little Secret

PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hospital acquired infections (HAI's) were the dirty secret of healthcare for decades. Over two million infections annually resulted in about 100,000 patients dying per year from largely avoidable infections they picked up at their care site which then went unreported for many legal, financial and other reasons. This was finally recognized in the 90's and culminated in the 2009 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services publication of the National Action Plan to Prevent Health Care-Associated Infections: Road Map to Elimination. Since then, significant improvements have been made in a multi-pronged approach which improves care, saves lives, reduces the estimated $30Bn cost of HAIs, creates accountability and reporting, but most importantly starts with recognition of the problem.

Awareness has been growing over the past few years that similarly preventable issues exist within healthcare imaging. As with HAI's, the imaging problems are multi-faceted and lead to patient risk, unnecessary procedures and avoidable costs exceeding $100Bn annually. Ranging from simple technical issues such as the readability of a patient study on CD, which is still the standard of image exchange in US healthcare – to about 30% of scans being unnecessary duplicate procedures. The healthcare system is burdened with massive workflow and cost implications at a time when clinician numbers are declining and demand is rising, especially during a pandemic. Meanwhile, many problems including slower speed and reduced access to care, excessive radiation, and infection exposure among others, drive clinical risk and mortality for patients. Arguably, recognition of these issues in healthcare imaging today is analogous to that of HAI's in the 1990's which presages significant future pain and cost for healthcare.

In response to these pressures, Nautilus Medical, Inc ("Nautilus") has created TeleRay; a single HIPAA-compliant platform combining its highly successful image management software with the most complete "plug and play" telemedicine solution available - easily implemented on existing practice equipment for same day use. This includes vital patient onboarding, technical support for patients and providers, reimbursement advice and on-line resources from industry-leading experts to get up and running immediately for the best value in the market.

Clinicians can manage patient telehealth consultations safely and remotely, including reading, manipulating and reviewing studies with patients in real time. COO Steve Austin explained, "No other platform combines complete telehealth solution with image management to share and view along with a patient or specialist during a call." He continued, "This is well beyond screen sharing; this is true collaboration for better outcomes." He added that the system connects to al storage systems and can connect to a modality such as ultrasound for real time viewing of a live study. Using proprietary techniques, patient studies are universally readable from any acquisition device thereby reducing unnecessary rescans to reduce costs, improve patient outcomes and optimize practice workflows and revenues. Telehealth coverage included in the Coronavirus Spending Bill allows full reimbursement from Medicare and waives geographical restrictions on telehealth allowing care to be received at patients' homes. TeleRay efficiently manages this process and further reduces the burden to providers.

CEO Timothy Kelley commented, "As with HAI's, US healthcare must recognize and act upon the inherent flaws in its imaging capability. As an ethics-based company and industry leader aware of these problems, Nautilus cannot ignore them while continuing the status quo. TeleRay is an elegant platform designed to facilitate those improvements in the standard of care, clinical workflow and cost reduction at a single point of contact."

To further address the need to reduce repeat scans that cost healthcare billions, Nautilus offers TeleRay Live for real time viewing of modalities (CT, MRI, ultrasound, fluoro, etc.). This allows for specialists or qualified physicians to be 'in the room' with the sonographer or technologist. The parties may speak face to face, view patient positioning, view positioning of a probe, and discuss imaging needs for required results- the first time. This allows specialists to see more patients and be more efficient while reducing exposure to COVID. Nautilus offers low cost carts, set top boxes and other tools to accomplish the mission of reduced scans, better consultations, speed to care and ultimately better patient outcomes.

Contact:
Timothy Kelley, CEO
Phone: (847) 323-1334
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Nautilus Medical Technologies