New ultrasound technology offers rural Sask. mothers access to virtual care
A new research initiative from Jim Pattison’s Hospital (JPH) is making access to ultrasound appointments easier for expectant mothers in rural parts of the province.
The MELODY Telerobotic Ultrasound System is the largest telerobotic ultrasound program in the world, a news release from JPH said.
Dr. Ivar Mendez, director of the virtual care and remote presence robotics program, says the research initiative will bring essential services to remote and rural areas.
Mendez says for mothers living in areas where ultrasound technology isn’t available the MELODY system allows a sonographer to manipulate a probe and remotely perform an ultrasound to patients without having to travel long distances.
“For me, the amazing thing is that an individual can move a probe in Saskatoon and the probe will actually move 600 kilometers away in another community in real time,” Mendes said on Thursday.
The technology has been installed in Gravelbourg, La Loche, Stony Rapids and Pelican Narrows and has provided over 300 ultrasound scans, 80 per cent of them being obstetrical ultrasounds.
“A mother doesn’t have to travel eight hours to Saskatoon, be in a hotel, waiting for an ultrasound,” Mendez said.
Leaving a rural community for an ultrasound appointment can often mean patients have to take time off of work, find childcare for their other children and costly travel.
“There are significant barriers there, so by and large people are so thankful they can have it done in their community,” said Nadine Kanigan, director at The Ultrasound Centre in Saskatoon.
The telerobotic system has some limitations as it does require an internet connection.
“Obviously there’s limitations because I have to tell someone how to make some of the bigger movements with the ultrasound camera. Where if I was in the room with a patient, I would just be doing that on my own.”
The technology is only available in four locations right now, but the hospital does plan to expand to other communities in the province down the road.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.