Nov. 5, 2009 (Business Wire) -- GE Healthcare, the US$ 17 billion healthcare business of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) announced it has entered into agreements with USP Hospitales, Spain and Federico II, University of Naples, Italy to launch the first European clinical impact evaluations using Vscan, GE’s new pocket-sized visualization tool that houses ultrasound technology. Vscan has the potential to help redefine the physical exam and improve patient care by enhancing the doctor’s ability to quickly assess patients.

Over the next few months, over twenty medical professionals in Italy and Spain will participate in the multi-centre clinical impact evaluations to study the device and assess its potential impact on patient care and help develop specific medical protocols for its use in a number of clinical settings;

• For General Practitioners, Vscan has the potential to help redefine the physical check up by providing an immediate look inside the body and visualizing what doctors feel and hear
• For Intensive Care, Vscan offers doctors an immediate look beyond patient vital signs with the potential to identify critical issues, like fluid around the heart, which could be a sign of congestive heart failure
• For Cardiologists, Vscan provides at a glance a dependable visual evaluation of how well the heart is pumping, so they can treat patients more efficiently

GE’s goal is to improve the quality of care by increasing access to important healthcare innovations. Vscan is a non-invasive visualization tool that can help doctors perform more focused physical examinations and provide additional information with immediate assessment, which may help enhance patient care, potentially reduce wait times and improve physician workflow.

“Embedded as part of our healthymagination initiative, Vscan is an innovative technology that we hope will redefine patient check-ups and point-of-care decision making. At GE Healthcare we are proud to have long standing collaborations with key European institutions such as USP Hospitales and the University of Naples, as it is only together that we become better positioned for transforming healthcare delivery,” said Reinaldo Garcia, President and CEO of GE Healthcare, Europe Middle East and Africa.

Multi-centre clinical impact evaluations will take place across 5 sites in Italy (Naples, Milan, Siena and Lecco), and in Spain starting in Barcelona, with a view to broaden its use in other sites belonging to USP Hospitales’ network across Spain.