MedQuest is adding GE HealthCare digital solutions to enable advanced imaging in its outpatient ambulatory locations. (Photo courtesy of MedQuest)
MedQuest to bring advanced imaging to ambulatory care via GE HealthCare partnership
February 15, 2024
by John R. Fischer, Senior Reporter
MedQuest Associates is equipping its network of more than 50 outpatient imaging centers with digital technologies designed by GE HealthCare to provide more advanced care in ambulatory settings.
As part of a three-year collaboration, the company will install AIR Recon DL, AIR Touch Technology, Imaging Protocol Manager, Smart Subscription, and Digital tools with Imaging 360 to help its outpatient imaging centers meet greater demands for advanced imaging procedures, such as theranostics which would enable patients to receive a diagnosis and treatment plan at the same time in one location. By being able to perform more advanced imaging, MedQuest providers can personalize care based on a patient's specific needs and make it more accurate.
Using these solutions in ambulatory care is also expected to reduce the workload of radiologists and staff in hospitals, allowing for shorter waiting times there for imaging procedures and providing personnel with access to more critical care and emergency resources.
“Building upon our more than 25-year history as a leader in outpatient imaging, our partnership with GE HealthCare will position us at the forefront of innovative care delivery and product line development, enhancing the level of care for our patients and health system partners,” said MedQuest CEO Jason Howard in a statement.
MedQuest facilitates care through joint venture models with health systems, allowing it to increase access to imaging by leveraging existing infrastructure and patient networks. Among the capabilities that GE HealthCare’s digital solutions will provide are:
As part of a three-year collaboration, the company will install AIR Recon DL, AIR Touch Technology, Imaging Protocol Manager, Smart Subscription, and Digital tools with Imaging 360 to help its outpatient imaging centers meet greater demands for advanced imaging procedures, such as theranostics which would enable patients to receive a diagnosis and treatment plan at the same time in one location. By being able to perform more advanced imaging, MedQuest providers can personalize care based on a patient's specific needs and make it more accurate.
Using these solutions in ambulatory care is also expected to reduce the workload of radiologists and staff in hospitals, allowing for shorter waiting times there for imaging procedures and providing personnel with access to more critical care and emergency resources.
“Building upon our more than 25-year history as a leader in outpatient imaging, our partnership with GE HealthCare will position us at the forefront of innovative care delivery and product line development, enhancing the level of care for our patients and health system partners,” said MedQuest CEO Jason Howard in a statement.
MedQuest facilitates care through joint venture models with health systems, allowing it to increase access to imaging by leveraging existing infrastructure and patient networks. Among the capabilities that GE HealthCare’s digital solutions will provide are:
- AIR Recon DL: Uses all raw data from MR scanners to sharpen image quality and resolution, even when scanning time is shorter. The solution is available on GE Healthcare’s 7T, 3T, and 1.5T MR scanners, and its image-enhancing features have been found to reduce exam times by 30% to 50%.
- AIR Touch Technology: Part of GE HealthCare’s pattern recognition technology that automatically selects the best MR coil element combination for each patient based on the area of their body that requires scanning. This optimizes signal reception and reduces artifacts to produce clear and accurate images for diagnosing patients.
- Imaging Protocol Manager: Cloud-based application that tracks and updates protocols on CT and MR scanners across facilities remotely, eliminating the manual burdens of doing so, and associated side effects such as disruptions in uptime, compliance, and staff productivity. It also saves time and money spent on annual updates and reduces the risk of installing wrong or inaccurate protocols.
- Smart Subscription: Provides the latest upgrades and updates to your CT capabilities as soon as they become available, reducing variations in and time spent managing multiple sets of protocols across different CT systems. The solution comes with a broad range of packages, from general imaging to spectral imaging.
- Digital tools with Imaging 360: The Imaging 360 for Operations platform allows providers to assess their entire radiology departments to determine how resources can be optimized for humans and equipment and to eliminate workflow gaps. It can be used for multisite, multimodality solutions, and is accessible from a single point of entry through a cloud-based dashboard.