Nuclear Medicine departments and providers are being impacted by the COVID-19 crisis in unprecedented ways. We’re closely monitoring the latest developments, and in this post we take a look at four areas that are impacting nuclear cardiology.
COVID-19 Best Practices & Preparedness for Nuclear Cardiologists
ANSC held an informative webcast this week with leading experts on the front line of nuclear cardiology. The presentation featured Dr. Sharmila Dorbala and highlighted COVID-19 preparedness and best practices for nuclear cardiologists. Key topics covered in the webcast included exercise stress vs. vasodilator testing procedures, patient screening, staff protection, and image interpretation/reporting. Click here to view a recording of the webcast.
Confusion Around Lung Perfusion Ventilation Studies
On social media, and within the industry, we’ve seen a robust discussion around lung perfusion ventilation studies. Due to the airborne nature of COVID-19, there is hesitation among technologists about performing these studies and questions about the benefits outweighing the risks. This week the American College of Radiology came out with a statement encouraging departments not to do the ventilation portion of the scans, and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging also issued guidance on the topic.
Sudden Interest in Telehealth
The sudden shift to Telehealth and assisting patients over the phone and the internet has developed as a critical need for cardiology practices. The team at MedAxiom has been providing a number of valuable COVID-19 related resources and recently held a webinar focused on Telehealth.
During the broadcast, Dr. Jerry Blackwell and a team of experts covered topics such as the best tools for Telehealth, best practices, coding tips, and more. Click here to view a recording of the webcast.
Moving the Radiology Department Outside the Hospital
Hospitals are now actively looking for ways that Nuclear Medicine bedside imaging can assist with infection control. As such, Digirad has seen an uptick in interest around the Ergo imaging system and has ramped up production of the portable gamma camera to meet demand. As facilities consider their ‘hospital within a hospital’ quarantine approach, bedside and portable imaging makes more and more sense.
Our sister company, DMS Health, has seen increased interest in mobile healthcare and the benefits of moving the radiology department outside the hospital during this time of crisis. On the DMS blog this week, the team took a look at the role mobile imaging is playing and how hospitals are using the service to keep radiology departments operational.
What Are You Hearing and Seeing?
How are the current challenges and changes affecting your practice? Have you found any techniques or resources that are benefiting your patients? Join the discussion on our LinkedIn page and share your successes and challenges. We want to hear from you and get your view on the latest.
