2017 presents an opportunity for healthcare providers to evaluate how technologies like ultrasound can solve their challenges. By expanding their use of ultrasound, we believe providers can attract more patients, increase their patients’ level of satisfaction, and reduce costs.Better patient outcomes and happier patients are the hallmark of what is referred to as “value-based care.” For those of you who haven’t heard much about value-based health care, here’s how describes it:

“Value-based care is emerging as a solution to address rising health care costs, clinical inefficiency, and duplication of services, and to make it easier for people to get the care they need. In value-based models, doctors and hospitals are paid for helping keep people healthy and for improving the health of those who have chronic conditions in an evidence-based, cost-effective way.”

This is a departure from the traditional fee-for-service approach. With fee-for-service, doctors and hospitals are paid based on the number of health care services they deliver, such as tests and procedures. Payment generally has little to do with whether their patients’ health improves.


Why is ultrasound technology well-positioned in a value-based healthcare system? Because ultrasound provides quick, safe, efficient answers that physicians can use to make faster decisions about their patients’ treatment options. Ultrasound, especially point-of-care ultrasound, is more efficient and less expensive than X-ray, CT, or MRI. Ultrasound’s value came to light in a study from the ER Department at Mass General in Boston, and the University of Washington in Seattle. Researchers wanted to understand if point-of-care ultrasound showed improved patient satisfaction, perhaps as a consequence of improved time to diagnosis and decreased length of stay.The study’s finding showed that emergency patients who experienced a bedside sonography scan reported much higher satisfaction rates with Emergency Department care, diagnostic testing, and with their perception of the emergency physician. The study’s authors believe that point-of-care ultrasound has the potential to expedite care and diagnosis while improving both patient satisfaction and the patient-physician relationship. Since patient satisfaction surveys play an increasingly large role in health care organizational management, increasing patients’ overall happiness with a provider or department is more important than ever.

For hospital administrators, the rubber really hits the road when they understand that clinics and hospitals can see big cost reductions in using point of care ultrasound as well. The study sought to understand if CVC lines for patients with difficult IV access could be replaced by ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous IVs (USGPIVs) CVC line placement is one of the most common invasive emergency room procedures, with more than five million central venous catheter (CVC) lines placed in U.S. hospitals each year. CVC procedures can have a complication rate near 15%, which includes susceptibility to catheter-related bloodstream infection, or even death.

The study’s results showed that in 85 of 100 cases (85%) USGPIVs eliminated the need for CVC placement in patients with problematic IV access. These patients also had zero complications during the follow-up period.
The results of this study spurred changes at the hospital has made it standard emergency department practice that patients with difficult IV access undergo attempts at ultrasound-guided peripheral IV catheter placement before insertion of a CVC.
When you consider an approximate 15% complication rate for CVC procedures, the use of USGPIVs could lower rates to 2.25%. That’s an improvement in patient safety. With the cost of each CVC complication ranging from approximately $15,000 to $50,000, greater use of USGPIVs can mean a significant reduction in emergency department healthcare costs. That’s a benefit to the bottom line.

Share with


Back to Blog

OCC’s epidemiologist is closely monitoring the COVID-19 status and is actively issuing updates as they are available. The Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization are the most trusted sources online.  While the CDC has announced new mask protocols for vaccinated individuals, there will be no changes for our office protocols for patients, guests, and staff members as the announcement does not apply to hospitals or medical facilities. Masks are still a requirement for all patients, guests and staff at our facility.

As we reinitiate weight loss surgery, we are constantly adapting and installing new and updated safety measures.

Weight loss surgery is medically necessary.

Bariatric Surgery and the clash of two pandemics.   

Major metabolic and bariatric surgery Societies and colleges globally are now calling for the safe resumption of bariatric and metabolic surgery before the COVID-19 pandemic is declared over. 

The sooner bariatric surgery can be safely performed, the quicker obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other diseases can be reduced or resolved as they are not only chronic they are also progressive.  Obesity is also linked to more than 40 diseases including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and at least 13 different types of cancer.

A recent statement from the ASMBS says “Before COVID-19 began, it was clear that patients with obesity were ‘safer through surgery.’ In the era of COVID-19, ‘safer through surgery’ for patients with obesity may prove to be even more important than before.” Obesity and Metabolic syndrome have been identified as an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes including death among COVID-19 patients.

See here for full COVID-19 update. 

Contact us media
Contact Us
Accessibility: If you are vision-impaired or have some other impairment covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act or a similar law, and you wish to discuss potential accommodations related to using this website, please contact our Accessibility Manager at 866-675-9912.
Contact Us