Toshiba to showcase episode-based care solutions at RSNA annual meeting

Containing costs while delivering high-quality, effective care is a directive of healthcare reform. With episode-based care as part of the reform mandate, many healthcare providers are uncertain about its effect on both patient outcomes and their bottom-line. Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. is partnering with leading healthcare providers to develop solutions to address episode-based care by effectively utilizing patient-focused imaging technology and a multidisciplinary collaborative approach to treatment.

“When time is of the essence in acute stroke, streamlining treatment from days to a matter of hours or minutes not only improves patient outcomes but also helps lower overall healthcare costs.”

Toshiba will showcase examples of episode-based care solutions using its imaging technology at this year's Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting, held in Chicago, Nov. 28 - Dec. 3, 2010 (Booth #3435, South Hall).

As a payment approach that reimburses on expected costs for clinically defined episodes, rather than fee-for-service, aligning with the right imaging partner to deliver episode-based treatment can achieve greater efficiencies and better patient outcomes, while also increasing productivity and revenue. Two examples of Toshiba's episode-based solutions include acute stroke diagnosis at Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital and pediatric care at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center:

Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital - A Kaleida Health Facility (Acute Stroke): As a world class neurological and stroke care center, Millard Fillmore uses Toshiba's Aquilion^® ONE dynamic volume CT system and Toshiba's Infinix^TM VF-i bi-plane vascular system to improve both patient and financial outcomes within this new healthcare paradigm. One clinical example focuses on a 51-year-old patient with clear signs of stroke who required immediate diagnosis and treatment. By utilizing the Aquilion ONE Neuro Imaging protocol, which combines non-contrast CT, cerebral blood flow analysis and four-dimensional digital subtraction angiography into a single exam, Millard Fillmore achieved an entire stroke workup in minutes using a single 50cc contrast injection. The Aquilion ONE's ability to image up to 16 cm of anatomy captured the entire brain in one rotation with complete temporal uniformity, allowing physicians to accurately depict the flow, function and perfusion of the brain. Physicians were able to identify an embolism in the middle cerebral artery and obtain the data needed to make a rapid, accurate diagnosis in minutes, rather than hours.

The patient was then taken to the Infinix-i vascular lab where the clot was removed. The Infinix-i's unique features, including Guide View, provided a superimposed roadmap over live fluoroscopy images for accurate device placement, and the innovative five-axis C-arm provided unprecedented access for the entire interventional team, and aided in the rapid treatment of the patient. As a result, the patient was admitted, diagnosed, treated and released from the hospital quickly, with no visible long-term effects.

"Toshiba's patient-focused technology has helped us increase the number of patients being discharged home, which is ideal for an episode-based care approach and continues to help our neurosurgery department achieve the best results," explained Elad Levy, MD, FACS, FAHA, Professor of Neurosurgery, University at Buffalo Neurosurgery, and Director of Endovascular Stroke Service for the Gates Stroke Center. "When time is of the essence in acute stroke, streamlining treatment from days to a matter of hours or minutes not only improves patient outcomes but also helps lower overall healthcare costs."

Cincinnati Children's (Pediatric Care): By making smart, judicious choices about allocating resources, Cincinnati Children's is a model for preparing for the new directives of healthcare reform. A real-life clinical example focuses on a patient born prematurely at 32 weeks with severe intra-uterine growth retardation. The patient experienced increasing gastric aspirates and was diagnosed with a gastric outlet obstruction. Cincinnati Children's has an Aplio^TM XG ultrasound system customized for pediatric patients with pediatric protocols and small probes. The hospital was able to maneuver the Aplio XG to perform the study in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) while the child remained in the incubator to reduce the patient's exposure to risk and complications. The exam revealed some passage of gastric contents and poor gastric motility with diffuse gastric wall thickening. An evaluation of wall thickening was needed and an abdominal CT was requested.

Toshiba's Aquilion ONE CT is optimized for pediatric care to reduce the risk of radiation and the use of sedation. The Aquilion ONE's protocols can be adjusted to reduce the required dose to the lowest level possible while still delivering exceptional image quality. In this case, by using the Aquilion ONE, the patient received a full CT workup in less than a second without sedation due to the rapid exam time and was back in the NICU as quickly as possible. The CT results showed diffuse gastric mucosal thickening, which prompted an upper endoscopy and biopsy, procedures that would not have been performed based on the original diagnosis. The endoscopy showed that there was no gastric outlet obstruction, which ultimately saved the patient from surgical intervention and the hospital valuable time and resources.

Toshiba develops innovative imaging technology focused on providing comprehensive exams to streamline diagnosis and lower costs. Toshiba is positioned to help healthcare providers improve both patient and financial outcomes while easily adapting to the upcoming healthcare mandates.

"Milliard Fillmore and Cincinnati Children's are impressive examples of how an exceptional multi-disciplinary team can use innovative imaging technology to improve patient outcomes and remain fiscally stable in today's uncertain times," said Doug Ryan, vice president, Marketing and Strategic Development, Toshiba. "Toshiba is taking a proactive approach combining our advanced technology, multidimensional knowledge base, customer interaction Episode-Based Care Solutions and robust educational offerings to support healthcare providers in effectively managing episode-based care."