By: Liz Griggs, CEO, and Dr. Mark Cooper, Chief of Radiology, Next Image Medical
San Diego, CA – At NextImage Medical, our team continues to be committed to bringing our Worker’s Compensation clients the most innovative diagnostic imaging products and services. Our goal at NextImage is to further reduce medical costs for our payor partners with a goal of rapid return to work.
Most Workers’ Compensation cases are pain related to musculoskeletal complaints and tend to be soft tissue related, meaning pain in the muscles, tendons, or the ligaments. In order to image these structures, the patient typically gets an MRI.
Today, ultrasound is being used more frequently in the Workers’ Compensation market. Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Imaging is now capable of imaging many of the structures that an MRI can view at a lower cost with little if any contradictions.
NextImage Medical has launched an Ultrasound Network for our clients to bring them a low cost alternative to an MRI, if appropriate. Many times, you can see the superficial structures in just as much resolution as with an MRI. It is possible to diagnose the patient right there in the office and offer treatment on the same day of service, which can be very beneficial with our goal of rapid return to work for our payor partners at NextImage Medical.
One advantage of ultrasound is dynamic testing. In an MRI, the patient has to remain very still. With ultrasound, our physicians can actually put the patient under stress and see how those tissues perform under stress. You can see if the meniscus in the knee subluxes out of the joint line when it is put under stress. That same concept holds true for the shoulder as well. A lot of times, these subtle rotator cuff tears will not be visible unless you actually put the tendon under stress and then watch it. With Ultrasound systems you can watch the soft tissues of the shoulder impinge because you can scan while the patient is performing the motion that causes them pain. This is something that an MRI cannot do.
Our goal at NextImage Medical is to continue drive innovation by leading the way with superior product and service. In addition, our goal is to continue to reduce cost for our clients and get injured workers back to work as quickly as possible. This can be achieved by reducing the High Cost of Pain Management and potential Surgery by having the right diagnostic study performed at the beginning. That is why we believe that the “Image is Everything” and can have the largest impact on the overall cost of your claim.
Source: Next Image Medical