Resident physicians learn how to perform ultrasound exams. Ultrasound images are later detailed within the IMBUS database accessed by FileMaker Go for iPhone.

A new way to diagnose patients

Portable ultrasound devices are increasingly used to examine patients, diagnose problems and guide invasive procedures. FileMaker and a FileMaker Go solution for iPhone help ensure that as the hospital embarks on the leading edge of this movement, it is training, evaluating and credentialing physicians in the most rigorous fashion possible.

Unlike earlier machines, which are the size of an ATM on wheels, today’s ultrasound devices are a portable tool that can easily be carried over the shoulder or even in a shirt pocket. The technology improves bedside diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. And, in contrast to the CT scan, x-ray or other imaging tests that expose patients to radiation, portable ultrasound does not have any harmful bio-effects.

Enabling real-time tracking of ultrasound studies

The FileMaker solution has transformed IMBUS training. In addition to the exam results from physicians’ iPhones, images from the portable ultrasound machines are sent wirelessly to the same server where they can be correlated with the FileMaker database. The FileMaker database assembles totals for each type of exam performed by the physician, as well as a repository of specific exam findings for teaching purposes.

From the FileMaker solution, trainers can analyze whether the bedside ultrasound findings match formal imaging studies that are conducted independently. Most important, trainers can evaluate a trainee’s experience and accuracy for each type of ultrasound exam. In addition, physicians can track their own progress using the FileMaker Go app on iPhone.

“The mobile component is essential as it allows physicians to enter the ultrasound record at the time of the exam,” asserts Tierney. “It’s critical to ensuring that studies are entered reliably and immediately. FileMaker is a very robust platform that accommodated everything we needed. And it still leaves plenty of room for future enhancements.”

Ultimately, the greatest value of Abbott Northwestern’s IMBUS program is the daily impact it’s having on patient care. By providing real-time visualization right at the patient’s bedside, portable ultrasound is a powerful tool for diagnosis, efficient treatment, and an excellent way to advance the overall quality of the traditional physical exam.

Says Tierney, “In the end, it is all about taking the best possible care of patients using the tools we have available. If ultrasound can fit in our little black bag, it is wrong for it not to be there. FileMaker is helping us make bedside ultrasound part of our standard tool set.”