Patient preference for comfortable, easy-access cancer care driving trend to outpatient settings
A full range of emotions can come with a cancer diagnosis. One of the most common? Loss of control.
In the wake of this difficult medical news, it’s hard for many not to feel defined by their illness. Appointments and tests start to fill the calendar every week, and with so many unknowns regarding response to treatment, it’s easy to feel as if everything is unmanageable.
Tack on the anxiety over prognosis and the potentially tricky treatment road ahead, and individuals can suddenly feel overwhelmed.
First Things First
To regain some control, one of the best first steps is to set a concrete plan forward for treatment and care. The lists of required scans, blood work, therapies, and treatments start to pile up quickly, and having a clear path toward remission is helpful.
As the appointments mount, the advantage of seeking treatment at an outpatient setting or an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) is clear. With ASCs, patients benefit from easier geographic access to treatment without traveling to and navigating large hospitals. Additionally, they can typically find more flexible scheduling options and even be seen for treatments sooner or more regularly than in a hospital.
With the flexibility of scheduling, patients feel that their care is prioritized as they do not often have to wait as long for appointments. Typically, physicians at ASCs are more able to accommodate a patient’s scheduling needs.
Living Beyond a Diagnosis
Outpatient centers are also more desirable for many patients because the additional services offered provide a glimpse into what life will be like when the battle ends and the cancer is defeated. Ancillary services, including physical therapy, nutrition and dietetics, and psychological services right on-site in an ASC or outpatient clinic, promote hope and help patients regain control.
But, perhaps most importantly, the most significant driver behind the trend out of hospitals for cancer care is the patient preference for the familiar. Aside from the convenience and ease of access, including more accessible parking and less time spent at the ASC, outpatient care is more comfortable compared to going into a hospital regularly. And when facing something as difficult as a cancer battle, every bit of comfort can make an impact.
https://www.endosound.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Cancer-Care-in-the-ASC—-Taking-Back-Control.jpg3471299KG-Endosoundhttp://www.endosound.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Endosound-New-web-logo-no-tag2023.pngKG-Endosound2023-07-19 09:03:052023-07-19 11:10:25Cancer Care in the ASC— Taking Back Control
EndoSound® Inc., a privately held medical device company developing an endoscopic ultrasound platform to diagnose and treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, today announced the initial closing of its Series A round financing.
The round is being led by GEO Medtech Venture Fund, a leading healthcare venture capital firm that invests in transformative medical technology, and health solutions companies seeking to improve clinical outcomes, enhance quality of life, and drive efficiency of healthcare delivery.
The financing will support EndoSound’s ongoing research and development and preparations for commercial launch.
The EndoSound Vision SystemTM (EVSTM) is designed to eliminate the financial burden of expanding access to care for patients who require an endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) procedure. By attaching the EVS Transducer to a standard upper endoscope found in all hospitals and GI surgery centers, this critical technology becomes available and affordable in more areas of care.
Our ability to complete a financing round with experienced, highly respected investors and our existing shareholders is a testament to our team, our strategy and the overall market opportunity ahead of us. It brings us closer to our goal of expanding patient and physician access to EUS in the US and around the world.
—Steve Steinberg, President and CEO of EndoSound, Inc.
https://www.endosound.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/EndoSound-Announces-Initial-Closing-of-its-Series-A-Financing.jpg365835KG-Endosoundhttp://www.endosound.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Endosound-New-web-logo-no-tag2023.pngKG-Endosound2023-05-05 12:12:532024-05-30 11:58:46EndoSound® Announces Initial Closing of its Series A Financing
A patient with unexplained, chronic abdominal pain has struggled for months to find the cause of his discomfort. His physicians suspect something serious, and order an endoscopic ultrasound for further examination.
Without a local option for care, the man is stuck waiting months for an appointment and must travel hours for the advanced endoscopic procedure. While most patients prefer to be seen in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) due to convenience and, often, lower costs, EUS is not always readily available in ASCs.
Unfortunately, barriers to bringing EUS to ASCs or outpatient clinics include limited training opportunities for physicians – especially post-fellowship – and equipment costs for ASCs and outpatient centers. But, bringing the procedure to your practice can drive revenue and significantly help patients in the community.
There are always questions about if a group should start an EUS program, but once that decision is “Yes”, the new set of questions becomes “How”. So, if a physician who is already trained in EUS is thinking about starting in another setting, then here is an outline of how to get it done:
Explore:
Take stock and determine if EUS is the right fit for your practice and community.
A team of representatives from gastroenterology, nursing, materials management, pathology, radiology, procurement and medical device reprocessing should collaborate to determine goals of an EUS program, the target patient population and the overall implementation plan. The team will also need to analyze the current availability of adequate resources (budget, equipment, trained personnel, reprocessing facilities, etc.) to implement an advanced procedure like EUS in your practice, and/or what will need further investment.
Plan:
Develop an implementation timeline complete with short-, medium- and long-term goals and measures for success.
The implementation plan should include how your team will meet training requirements, acquire equipment and market the new offering to the community. Post-fellowship training fellowships are available for endoscopists seeking to gain competency in EUS. Reprocessing personnel also require training on proper handling and cleaning of specialized endoscopes. All credentialling requirements must be met as well.
Implement:
Install equipment and train appropriate staff to cover all aspects of procedure, from preparation, to anesthesia, to performance, to reprocessing of endoscopes to follow-up care.
An advanced endoscopic procedure such as EUS requires a large amount of institutional support to be performed successfully. Facilities may choose to engage with medical device manufacturer clinical support teams, especially with using new equipment and setting up brand-new services. The needs of additional stakeholders, like anesthesia and radiology, should also be factored into implementation timelines and plans.
Review:
After successfully launching EUS as part of your practice, take time to review what went well and what could be improved for both team members and patients.
No new program implementation will ever be perfect, and this is a good time to review all procedures and protocols to ensure all patient and department needs are met. Additionally, the implementation team described above can determine future clinical needs for continued operation and expansion of a successful EUS program.
“EUS program leaders and healthcare administrators must work collaboratively to measure preestablished metrics of success, operationalize identified opportunities for improvement, and regularly evaluate the overall clinical care system,” according to an article in the January 2022 edition of Endoscopic Ultrasound about establishing EUS in practice. “[EUS] programs require a comprehensive and interprofessional approach to strategic planning, goal setting, implementation, training, and program maintenance.”
https://www.endosound.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/How-to-Establish-an-Effective-EUS-Practice.png365835KG-Endosoundhttp://www.endosound.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Endosound-New-web-logo-no-tag2023.pngKG-Endosound2023-03-30 09:51:302023-04-01 14:49:56How to Establish an Effective EUS Practice
Cancer Care in the ASC— Taking Back Control
ASCs, General NewsPatient preference for comfortable, easy-access cancer care driving trend to outpatient settings
A full range of emotions can come with a cancer diagnosis. One of the most common? Loss of control.
In the wake of this difficult medical news, it’s hard for many not to feel defined by their illness. Appointments and tests start to fill the calendar every week, and with so many unknowns regarding response to treatment, it’s easy to feel as if everything is unmanageable.
Tack on the anxiety over prognosis and the potentially tricky treatment road ahead, and individuals can suddenly feel overwhelmed.
First Things First
To regain some control, one of the best first steps is to set a concrete plan forward for treatment and care. The lists of required scans, blood work, therapies, and treatments start to pile up quickly, and having a clear path toward remission is helpful.
As the appointments mount, the advantage of seeking treatment at an outpatient setting or an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) is clear. With ASCs, patients benefit from easier geographic access to treatment without traveling to and navigating large hospitals. Additionally, they can typically find more flexible scheduling options and even be seen for treatments sooner or more regularly than in a hospital.
With the flexibility of scheduling, patients feel that their care is prioritized as they do not often have to wait as long for appointments. Typically, physicians at ASCs are more able to accommodate a patient’s scheduling needs.
Living Beyond a Diagnosis
Outpatient centers are also more desirable for many patients because the additional services offered provide a glimpse into what life will be like when the battle ends and the cancer is defeated. Ancillary services, including physical therapy, nutrition and dietetics, and psychological services right on-site in an ASC or outpatient clinic, promote hope and help patients regain control.
But, perhaps most importantly, the most significant driver behind the trend out of hospitals for cancer care is the patient preference for the familiar. Aside from the convenience and ease of access, including more accessible parking and less time spent at the ASC, outpatient care is more comfortable compared to going into a hospital regularly. And when facing something as difficult as a cancer battle, every bit of comfort can make an impact.
EndoSound® Announces Initial Closing of its Series A Financing
Company NewsEndoSound® Inc., a privately held medical device company developing an endoscopic ultrasound platform to diagnose and treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, today announced the initial closing of its Series A round financing.
The round is being led by GEO Medtech Venture Fund, a leading healthcare venture capital firm that invests in transformative medical technology, and health solutions companies seeking to improve clinical outcomes, enhance quality of life, and drive efficiency of healthcare delivery.
The financing will support EndoSound’s ongoing research and development and preparations for commercial launch.
The EndoSound Vision SystemTM (EVSTM) is designed to eliminate the financial burden of expanding access to care for patients who require an endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) procedure. By attaching the EVS Transducer to a standard upper endoscope found in all hospitals and GI surgery centers, this critical technology becomes available and affordable in more areas of care.
How to Establish an Effective EUS Practice
ASCs, General News, Industry News, Updates in GIA patient with unexplained, chronic abdominal pain has struggled for months to find the cause of his discomfort. His physicians suspect something serious, and order an endoscopic ultrasound for further examination.
Without a local option for care, the man is stuck waiting months for an appointment and must travel hours for the advanced endoscopic procedure. While most patients prefer to be seen in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) due to convenience and, often, lower costs, EUS is not always readily available in ASCs.
Unfortunately, barriers to bringing EUS to ASCs or outpatient clinics include limited training opportunities for physicians – especially post-fellowship – and equipment costs for ASCs and outpatient centers. But, bringing the procedure to your practice can drive revenue and significantly help patients in the community.
There are always questions about if a group should start an EUS program, but once that decision is “Yes”, the new set of questions becomes “How”. So, if a physician who is already trained in EUS is thinking about starting in another setting, then here is an outline of how to get it done:
Explore:
Take stock and determine if EUS is the right fit for your practice and community.
A team of representatives from gastroenterology, nursing, materials management, pathology, radiology, procurement and medical device reprocessing should collaborate to determine goals of an EUS program, the target patient population and the overall implementation plan. The team will also need to analyze the current availability of adequate resources (budget, equipment, trained personnel, reprocessing facilities, etc.) to implement an advanced procedure like EUS in your practice, and/or what will need further investment.
Plan:
Develop an implementation timeline complete with short-, medium- and long-term goals and measures for success.
The implementation plan should include how your team will meet training requirements, acquire equipment and market the new offering to the community. Post-fellowship training fellowships are available for endoscopists seeking to gain competency in EUS. Reprocessing personnel also require training on proper handling and cleaning of specialized endoscopes. All credentialling requirements must be met as well.
Implement:
Install equipment and train appropriate staff to cover all aspects of procedure, from preparation, to anesthesia, to performance, to reprocessing of endoscopes to follow-up care.
An advanced endoscopic procedure such as EUS requires a large amount of institutional support to be performed successfully. Facilities may choose to engage with medical device manufacturer clinical support teams, especially with using new equipment and setting up brand-new services. The needs of additional stakeholders, like anesthesia and radiology, should also be factored into implementation timelines and plans.
Review:
After successfully launching EUS as part of your practice, take time to review what went well and what could be improved for both team members and patients.
No new program implementation will ever be perfect, and this is a good time to review all procedures and protocols to ensure all patient and department needs are met. Additionally, the implementation team described above can determine future clinical needs for continued operation and expansion of a successful EUS program.
“EUS program leaders and healthcare administrators must work collaboratively to measure preestablished metrics of success, operationalize identified opportunities for improvement, and regularly evaluate the overall clinical care system,” according to an article in the January 2022 edition of Endoscopic Ultrasound about establishing EUS in practice. “[EUS] programs require a comprehensive and interprofessional approach to strategic planning, goal setting, implementation, training, and program maintenance.”