SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Exo (pronounced “echo”), a pioneering medical imaging software and devices company, today released its 2023 Survey Report: Unlocking Point-of-Care Ultrasound. Based on a survey of more than 150 U.S.-based physicians, the report uncovers trends related to point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) adoption and use—such as challenges with existing solutions, their perceived value of handheld POCUS devices, and the impact of new innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) on medical imaging and ultrasound expansion into primary care.POCUS provides immediate medical answers that caregivers need for diagnosis and treatment, but adoption still hasn’t become widespread across the care continuum. Exo’s 2023 survey uncovers reasons for this slowdown, and what respondents see could accelerate widespread adoption. A few of the key findings in the survey report include:

POCUS adoption has stalled due to a lack of infrastructure

The top challenges caregivers face with their current POCUS solutions are poor image quality and integrating the device with hospital IT such as PACS or electronic health records (EHR). As a result, caregivers struggle to get trained on POCUS, and when they are trained, they have to use complicated processes for documenting, storing and billing exams. The survey found that only 68% of ultrasound exams are documented, meaning that performed scans aren’t showing up in patient records, which could risk compliance and legal exposure. Of those who said their POCUS exams were documented, only 50% cited that those exams were actually billed – indicating a significant loss of revenue for health systems. A lack of connected infrastructure for ultrasound devices can have rippling impacts on the wider health system. To address this challenge, facilities must have an end-to-end solution, not a device-only approach, for their medical imaging needs.

Handheld POCUS can improve care for underserved communities

Because handheld POCUS devices are simpler to use and cost less than cart-based systems, they solve a critical need in providing access to medical imaging that can help diagnose and treat patients sooner. This may be why an overwhelming 88% of surveyed respondents believe handheld POCUS availability will moderately or significantly increase POCUS adoption. Furthermore, the World Economic Forum has shared that more than half [1] of the world’s population does not have access to essential health services, which includes medical imaging. The portability of handheld POCUS has the potential to be leveraged everywhere – in the back of an ambulance, in a rural community, or in the home – which leads to better patient outcomes and an improved caregiver experience, all at the point of care.

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