Malaysia generally has an efficient and widespread system of health care, which is divided into private and public sectors. Public provision is rather basic, especially in rural areas. However, inequity in healthcare utilization between the rich and the poor can also be seen, according to a study analyzing the status of healthcare utilization for inpatient and outpatient in Malaysia[1]. For public hospitals, the main drawback is the shortage of staff compared to the number of patients seeking treatment has led to long queues. Therefore, improving diagnostic efficiency will remain a top priority.
EDAN ultrasound team has completed a live demo tour for a batch of Malaysian hospitals recently. During the on-site visit to local hospitals, the team found out that the application of advanced ultrasound functions can effectively alleviate the problem of insufficient staff in public hospitals, which can help to solve the problem of inequality of medical resources between regions in Malaysia.
Public hospitals decided to adopt ultrasound solutions from EDAN. After the live demo tour, EDAN ultrasound solutions were endorsed by most of the public hospitals including Pkd Rompin, Pkd kuala Kangsar, Pkd gua musang, Pkd batang padang and Hospital Melaka.
The mortality toll from NCDs largely contributed by cardiovascular disease (CVD) is 73% in Malaysia for the last decade, which caused the increasing demand for cardiac ultrasound. It can provide detailed hemodynamic information in a short period at the patient's bedside[2].
"EDAN Acclarix LX9 can better address our needs in Cardiology." Commented by Dr. Syed Farid, head of the Emergency Department in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia(HUSM). "It provides intelligent diagnosis, which saves us time and manpower. "
For the specific needs of the cardiology department, the Acclarix LX9 features advanced functions such as eVol.Flow and eLV, displaying unexpected image quality and extremely efficient workflow.
The Malaysian health care system focuses on Primary Health Care (PHC) which places social equity as important. The Second National Health and Morbidity Survey in 1996 reported that 88.5% of the population stays within 5 km of a health facility and 81% lived within 3 km[3]. GP, community clinics, small district hospitals, and other outreach services such as flying doctors provide general medical and nursing care to communities throughout the country, which reveal the high demand for portable medical devices in the country.
"We are keenly aware of the strong demand for higher-quality and cost-effective portable color Doppler in the local market." Said Lucas Liu, the product manager of EDAN ultrasound. "Portable systems can help public hospitals to achieve better health outcomes and service enhancement while greatly expanding the usage scenario of private clinics and providing a flexible solution for the visiting doctors. "
"During this on-site visit, we have to frequently commute between several cities, often spending 5-6 hours driving every day. It is because the traffic level in the eastern part of the Malay Peninsula lags behind, compared with the expressway network that runs through the major cities along the line in the west." Lucas added. The geographical pattern determines the difficulty of medical coverage in remote areas of the country, EDAN, therefore, set its sights on the wider eastern areas of the Malay Peninsula. With the point-of-care ultrasound solutions, EDAN offers clinicians the ability to confidently diagnose with high-quality portable imaging and care for their patients in different applications. EDAN Acclarix AX3 compact ultrasound system delivers a comprehensive combination of features at a cost-effective price. The dual-sockets and two built-in batteries within the 4.5kg lightweight body design empower the continuous working time of 2 hours. All features are designed based on full consideration and analysis of the characteristics and needs of the local market.
To meet the demands of the OB department, AX3 is also equipped with the eLive mode, based on the 3D/4D image functions. eLive is an extraordinary rendering method generating amazingly realistic images of the human fetus from ultrasound data, which can restore the baby's state including the texture of the skin and facial features. This mode is also developed based on insights into local end users' preferences, greatly improving customer satisfaction.
"EDAN ultrasound provides a suite of tools that aims to improve clinical outcomes, enhance patient care, increase staff satisfaction and reduce the cost of care. All this is done by allowing clinicians to extend the benefits of safe and efficient POC ultrasound imaging across the healthcare spectrum." Said Lucas.
From portable devices to premium cart-based systems, EDAN ultrasound machines are ergonomic, intuitive, and support a confident diagnosis with a variety of options for any work environment. Urgent care with ultrasound machines readily accessible and portable will no longer be a rarity.
With a rising and aging population, the Malaysian government wishes to improve in many areas including the refurbishment of existing hospitals, building and equipping new hospitals, expansion of the number of polyclinics, and improvements in training and expansion of telehealth[4]. EDAN will continually pay attention to market trends in Malaysia to ensure development meets the needs of the industry.
Reference
[1] Bakar, Nurul Salwana Abu, Adilius MAnuAl, and Jabrullah Ab HAMid. "Socioeconomic status affecting inequity of healthcare utilisation in Malaysia." The Malaysian journal of medical sciences: MJMS 26.4 (2019): 79.
[2] Herbst, Meghan K., James Velasquez, and Maria C. O'Rourke. "Cardiac Ultrasound." (2017).
[3] Thomas, Susan, LooSee Beh, and Rusli Bin Nordin. "Health care delivery in Malaysia: changes, challenges and champions." Journal of public health in Africa 2.2 (2011).
[4] Public or private hospitals? The choice is yours: http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/02/18/public-or-private-hospitals-the-choice-is-yours/