While the world was on pause, physicians were still at work and health systems demonstrated they can do things quickly when they have to. Over the course of the past year, health leaders organized quick accommodations to keep communications open, both to engage patients, and to communicate with healthcare staff. Messaging focused on the safety of healthcare workers and safety and continued care for patients during the global health crisis. Health systems and hospitals launched new ways to stay connected with patients, offered virtual visits and conducted advanced appointment screenings. Communications now remains a priority, and patient outreach continues with targeted information and interactions through social and digital engagement.
Similarly, companies that provide services to hospitals and health systems also adapted their strategies and worked to determine how best to respond to physicians’ changing needs. Leading organizations are reorienting their customer experience efforts by ramping up remote accessibility, digital deliverables and online and training and education. GE Healthcare, in an effort to provide support and partnership with customers during the global pandemic, invested in improving accessible online training and education, remote system maintenance and monitoring capabilities and maintaining physician relationships during times when in-person meetings were not possible.
Innovation is on the Road
Managing through the pandemic, clinicians have the continued support of partners like GE Healthcare, which is making sure they have access to the most current technologies and can hear about outcomes they’re able to achieve that can impact patient care in their communities. Now that small group gatherings are permitted in some locations, GE Healthcare is getting behind the wheel and driving innovation directly to customers around the globe.
“The COVID-19 outbreak was an opportunity for GE Healthcare to step up and offer our continued partnership and support to our customers and the communities they serve,” said Andy DeLao, Chief Marketing Officer, Women’s Health & X-ray, GE Healthcare. “Every image tells a story, and that’s what we’re out to achieve with our Medical Imaging Innovation Tours. We want to meet with customers in person as safely as possible, which we’ve been unable to do until now, listen to their needs, and understand the specific challenges they’re facing. We want to share some of the ways our imaging technology is being used to manage COVID-related disease and offer innovative solutions to help them manage efficiently to answer the surge in demand for imaging services and breast cancer screenings.”
A specially designed trailer equipped with GE Healthcare’s leading-edge imaging technologies in Women’s Health, X-ray, Bone & Metabolic Health and Oncology, along with knowledgeable staff and safety personnel is making its way from Madrid, Spain and across EU and eventually to the US. GE Healthcare has several other similar activities that are also happening in Germany and China. Against this backdrop, customer experience is taking on new meaning. Clinicians can share their own experiences and stay up to date with the latest in imaging technology as the pandemic continues and eventually winds down.
Some of the topics in discussion at various stops along the way include:
- Rapid diagnosis breast cancer models
- Utilizing contrast-enhanced breast biopsy and improving patient experience results
- Patient experience
- Automated Breast Ultrasound and General Imaging Ultrasound for supplemental screening
- Bone & Metabolic Health
- Importance of managing backlog and offering excellent patient experience in mammography and biopsy
- The evolving role of X-Ray in the fight against COVID-19
- Expediting treatment of pneumothorax in COVID-19 patients
- Preparing for ongoing epidemic or post-COVID follow-up with X-Ray
Driving the latest in X-Ray and Women’s Health Imaging
Fear of contracting COVID-19 kept many patients away from their annual breast cancer screenings, cancer treatments and other imaging exams, even when it was considered safe to return. Now radiology departments are facing a surge that not only includes these patients, but also current patients holding new referrals for imaging services.
In the US, similar vans are traveling and demonstrating GE Healthcare mammography technology. Screenings and demonstrations are happening in different parts of the country with an emphasis on sharing the latest in innovation and patient experience.
Innovating Safety on the Road
The Every Image Tells a Story medical imaging innovation tour in Europe was planned by GE Healthcare using the most current health and safety requirements and was specially designed to protect the health and safety of GE Healthcare staff as well as anyone who plans to visit during its scheduled stops. The trailer itself that houses GE Healthcare’s technology was designed with COVID-19 defenses built in to improve ventilation and the staff follow a vigorous disinfection regimen throughout each day, overnight and between scheduled stops to prevent any potential spread of COVID-19.
GE Healthcare environmental management system (EMS) teams continuously assess the visit environment and have the ability to post-pone, cancel, or limit the number of attendees at any scheduled stop. Access to the events is managed thoughtfully and attendees who visit the Imaging Innovation trailer are preregistered online with their contact information collected for contact tracing in the event there is a reported case of COVID-19. All local restrictions are followed at each location, and attendees are required to wear masks during their visit.
GE Healthcare is taking every opportunity to maintain and provide a safe and healthy environment for visitors to the Medical Imaging Innovation tour in an effort to support its customers with the latest imaging technology to serve their patients.
- For more information on the European Every Image Tells a Story medical imaging innovation tour, click here.
- Learn more about GE Healthcare’s mammography, bone & metabolic health and radiography offerings.
- Save the date! GE Healthcare Breast Academy 9th edition meeting in 2021 is coming soon.
Breast Academy is a unique opportunity to learn from and engage with experts, all focused on a common goal: improving breast cancer detection via precision diagnostics, precision therapy and precision monitoring tailored to each patient along the breast care pathway.
