The University of Rochester Medical Center increases ultrasound load capture by 116% with the implantation of the POCUS system using butterfly.
The Medical Center of the University of Rochester (URMC) forms the central piece of medical research at the University, education of health professionals and patient care missions. It is home to Strong Memorial Hospital, the only Level 1 trauma center and the largest security network provider in the Finger Lakes region in northern New York, serving a population where approximately 40% of patients are on Medicaid or without insurance.
In the beginning of 2021, URMC partnered with Butterfly to implement an ultrasound program across the system to improve patients' access to imaging, speed up doctors' workflows and optimize revenue capture.
To date, this initiative involved the implementation of 862 Butterfly iQTM probes and the integration of CompassTM workflow software throughout the company. At the same time, existing ultrasound devices were incorporated into Compass to improve institutional compliance with imaging patterns. The URMC is on its way to continue the expansion of the program and, by 2026, expects to have 2,500 Butterfly probes deployed and integrated with Compass.
Impact
Since 2022, implementation has resulted in 49,492 butterfly scanning sessions performed by 964 distinct users in 64 academic departments and clinical programs. This widespread adoption led to 1,129 study authors generating 175,197 images, creating 19,399 studies and finalizing 15,524 reports. Notably, 9,802 studies were submitted to quality assurance centrally or within the departments. In 2023, the scanning sessions had an increase of 74% compared to the previous year, accompanied by a 147% increase in studies sent from Butterfly devices and an impressive 1.782% increase in images sent from non-butterfly devices.
The implantation throughout the ultrasound company at the care site led to significant clinical improvements, including early diagnosis of cholecystitis to avoid visits to the emergency room, distinguishing cellulite abscesses, early detection of mass of a bladder mass in patients with deficient emptying, identification of foreign bodies, detection of valve vegetation, screening of abdominal aneurysms and identification of thyroid nodules. It has also been used to detect bone fractures in pediatric patients, resulting in faster diagnoses and treatments for many patients. Proceduralists benefit from better compliance with image retention, resulting in significant increases in revenue in Emergency Medicine and all other participating departments. In fact, the general rates of POCUS more than doubled in the entire clinical company of URMC since the start of the pilot. A full cost-benefit analysis will require additional time and assessments.
Implementation
The project began in early 2022 with a comprehensive assessment of the needs of the entire company. This process involved the identification of groups of medical specialties that would serve as initial adopters and determine which existing ultrasound systems would be integrated into CompassTM. The evaluation reported a phased implementation in all clinical sites, starting with Primary Care, Domestic Health, Emergency Medicine and Intensive Care. The School of Medicine and Dentistry was also a place of early implantation, providing each student with a personal butterfly probe. POCUS is now incorporated into a renewed four-year curriculum, making ultrasound an integral part of medical education and clinical evaluation.
