Across the healthcare sector, the adoption of advanced point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) technology like Butterfly iQ3, is revolutionizing how clinicians assess patients and make diagnostic decisions. Butterfly's devices are not only transforming standards for individual doctors but also changing the hospital landscape by moving real-time diagnostic imaging directly into the hands of providers across departments. This shift is made possible at the enterprise level by cloud-based ultrasound software, which provides a seamless infrastructure for critical QA, storage and billing workflows and ensures bedside studies are seamlessly integrated into hospital PACS and EMR systems for proper recording and reimbursement. This technology delivers strong economic returns while improving diagnostic accuracy, speed and efficiency—a win-win for health systems and patients.
The versatility of this solution supports use across a breadth of specialties, including emergency care, internal medicine, critical care, pediatrics, nursing and more. Healthcare systems nationwide are embracing comprehensive ultrasound platforms to meet their goals of optimizing care delivery, enabling earlier diagnoses and improving revenue capture.
Improving diagnostic accuracy and speeding up decisions
The immediate access to real-time imaging that POCUS offers has proven invaluable in clinical settings. Health systems implementing Butterfly’s holistic solution have seen increased diagnostic accuracy and faster detection of conditions, often reducing referrals and wait times. The ability to perform scans at the point of care — whether in the clinic, the ER or beyond — enables quicker decision-making and more efficient patient management. This can lead to reduced emergency room visits, faster time to treatment and more precise interventions.
The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) is one illustrative case of its successful implementation. URMC partnered with Butterfly to deploy a system-wide ultrasound program. This initiative deployed 862 Butterfly iQ probes and the integration of Compass™ workflow software across the enterprise. Concurrently, existing ultrasound devices were incorporated into Compass to improve institutional compliance with imaging standards.
In a recent case study, URMC reported that the enterprise-wide deployment “has led to significant clinical improvements, including early diagnosis of cholecystitis to avoid emergency room visits, distinguishing abscesses from cellulitis, early detection of a bladder mass in patients with poor emptying, identifying foreign bodies, detecting valvular vegetations, screening for abdominal aneurysms, and identifying thyroid nodules.”
Widespread adoption and measurable impact
Deploying POCUS devices at scale, coupled with enterprise workflow software, can unlock increased ultrasound usage and charge capture for medical institutions. URMC’s experience further demonstrates the scalability and impact of POCUS. The medical center reports that, since 2022, its Butterfly implementation has “resulted in 49,492 Butterfly scanning sessions carried out by 964 distinct users across 64 academic departments and clinical programs… In 2023, scanning sessions saw a 74% increase compared to the previous year, accompanied by a 147% rise in studies uploaded from Butterfly devices and an impressive 1,782% increase in images uploaded from non-Butterfly devices.”
This rise in the number of studies performed and images captured reflects a broader trend of increased ultrasound usage across medical specialties, and the financial benefit of this trend is significant; in fact, URMC experienced a 116% increase in POCUS charges across the enterprise as a result.
Leveraging cloud technology for collaboration and quality assurance
Institutions can simplify image storage, sharing, and quality assurance with ultrasound software solutions like Compass™. Those who have adopted Butterfly’s solution have found immense value in the cloud as a facilitator of more collaborative care — not just across specialties, but also across departments and locations. Clinicians can access and review images remotely, ensuring continuity of care and supporting quality assurance efforts from anywhere in the hospital or even across facilities. This seamless integration can enhance communication between departments, allowing for improved collaboration in real-time.
This level of accessibility strengthens the quality of care across health systems and can even extend far beyond the walls of the hospital. Cloud connectivity allows senior staff to provide real-time feedback, medical educators to review student scans and can even support home care services. Furthermore, the platform’s global connectivity enables clinicians to review and share images internationally, making it a powerful tool for health equity and humanitarian response by virtually connecting providers across borders.
The future of healthcare with Butterfly
As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, POCUS technology is becoming a cornerstone in modern patient care. Health systems implementing this technology are not only enhancing clinical outcomes but also shaping more cost-effective, accessible healthcare delivery models. Whether it's enabling quicker diagnoses in emergency rooms or empowering earlier diagnoses in the preventative care continuum, Butterfly devices are helping clinicians provide higher-quality care across the board.
The example of URMC serves as a model for other healthcare institutions seeking to integrate this transformative technology. By following similar pathways of adoption, health systems can harness the full potential of POCUS to improve patient care and revenue capture on a broader scale. As the need for rapid, accurate diagnostics continues to grow, Butterfly’s technology is poised to remain at the forefront of innovation, reshaping healthcare delivery for years to come.
To read more about URMC and Butterfly’s successful program, visit: www.butterflynetwork.com/urmc-study
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