The Athabasca Health Authority is looking to revolutionize health care in the far north with the introduction of a remote ultrasound machine.
The procedure involves performing the ultrasound at the Stony Rapids hospital, while a radiologist reads the results in Saskatoon.
JD Miller is with the health authority, he says patients will get their health results faster.
“It gets these results into the people asking for these tests. It gets the results into their hands a lot quicker. So, if it is a critical or emerging ultrasound, they get the results right away. And even if it’s not, they get the results right away,” said Miller.
The health authority has been working with a French company and has purchased only the second machine. Miller says if this unit is available in all communities, it would decrease travel and wait times.
“I’m in Fond-du-Lac. If we had one of those units here, none of the people from Fond-du-Lac would need to fly to Stony Rapids to have an ultrasound, nor would they need to fly south, they could get one in the clinic here,” said Miller.
Miller says once month the Stony Rapids hospital conducts a clinic, seeing an additional four patients.
While the procedure takes a little longer to do, more people are getting tests, which is whittling the wait list.
(PHOTO: Ultrasound procedure. Courtesy of Southern NH Radiology Consultants.)