SonoSite has recently announced the launch of its SonoAccess application for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This application is the first iPhone application from an ultrasound company. It provides a multimedia library of ultrasound resource materials for medical professionals that can be utilized by them as required.
The SonoAccess application is an interactive learning application for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It fulfils the continuing educational needs of point-of-care ultrasound users. Sonosite joined hands with leading physicians to collect and create clinical education materials. These clinical education materials are created for emergency medicine, critical care and anesthesia with other specialties to be included soon. Through SonoSite, users can access high quality instructional videos, case studies and reimbursement guides as well as reference nearly 100 clinical images and news feeds on SonoSite. Additionally, users can customize their user profiles to create recommended lists of videos specific to their practice. In addition to this, users can share videos, case studies and images with their colleagues and friends. The SonoAccess application is available as a free download.
“Physicians need practical tutorials on ultrasound procedures,” commented Dr. David Auyong, Anesthesiologist, Seattle, WA. “There are not a lot of resources that give simple, practical tips on how to optimize the position of the probe or position the patient. Having a resource for continuing education available 24/7 like this will be helpful.”
Dr. Phillips Perera, MD, FACEP, RDMS, Emergency Ultrasound Program Director at Columbia University Medical Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital, NY, calculates that at his hospital a large proportion of the faculty and residents possess either the iPhone or the iPod Touch. He reckons that many of them will find the SonoAccess application useful. Dr. Perera has already experienced the benefits of this application while teaching residents.
“We have learned that using video works very well for teaching ultrasound—you don’t get the same impact from textbooks. I can use SonoAccess even while teaching a resident to perform an ultrasound exam at the bedside by propping up the iPhone next to the bed and pointing out on an image ‘this is the heart chamber you are looking for,’ for example,” Dr. Perera commented. “The portability of SonoAccess matched with the short, bullet point education modules make this a great fit for the busy lifestyle of emergency physicians and residents.”
SonoSite’s continued commitment to education is displayed by its vast collection of 28 instructional ultrasound videos, and 17 video case studies. This is one of the largest free resources of instructional videos for point-of-care ultrasound.
This is the second SonoSite education initiative with Apple. Previously, SonoSite had unveiled video refresher courses for the iPod to enable physicians to have an easy to access source of information to utilize in their practice.