Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust’s specialist musculoskeletal (MSK) service is benefitting from a SonoSite M-¬Turbo® point-of-care ultrasound system, as Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM) consultant Dr Stephen Chew explained: “Our primary care-based ‘one-stop’ SEM clinics were introduced to help reduce the number and improve the quality of orthopaedic referrals, as well as to enable swift initiation of treatment for a wide range of MSK conditions. Ultrasound scanning plays a key role in this, aiding diagnosis and patient education, and allowing image-guided injections to be performed in the clinic. As we operate from several locations, the M-Turbo’s portability and robustness are ideal, and its straightforward, intuitive interface gives us the capability to just switch on and start scanning, which makes all the difference when time is short.”
Dr James Noake, a fellow SEM consultant, continued: “The MSK service has been running for three years now, and is proving very popular. Inappropriate physiotherapy referrals and first appointment physiotherapy waiting times have reduced significantly, generating considerable cost savings for the Trust. At the longest established clinic, orthopaedic referral rates dropped to – and remain at – 50 % of the rate prior to the introduction of the service. Patients benefit too, receiving balanced, holistic care in an easily accessible, familiar environment close to home, with swifter access to specialist assessment and treatment. Diagnostic ultrasound and therapeutic injections are provided at the point of care, supported by priority access to physiotherapy and, if necessary, prompt referrals to appropriate secondary care.”
For more information about FUJIFILM SonoSite products, please contact:
FUJIFILM SonoSite Ltd
T +44 (0)1462 341151,
ukresponse@sonosite.com www.sonosite.co.uk
About FUJIFILM SonoSite
SonoSite helped pioneer the concept of portable, point-of-care ultrasound, and it continues to be a world-leading manufacturer and innovator of bedside ultrasound systems as well as an industry leader in ultra-high frequency micro-ultrasound technology. Headquartered near Seattle, the company is represented by 26 subsidiaries and a global distribution network in over 100 countries. SonoSite’s portable, compact systems are expanding the use of ultrasound across the clinical spectrum by cost-effectively bringing high-performance ultrasound to the point of patient care. For more information, go to: www.sonosite.com
FUJIFILM SonoSite, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc. oversees a direct sales distribution network in the UK and provides sales and marketing support. FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including electronic imaging, digital printing equipment, medical systems, life sciences, graphic arts, flat panel display materials, and office products, based on a vast portfolio of digital, optical, fine chemical and thin film coating technologies. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. For more information, please visit www.fujifilmholdings.com.
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