Cloud-Based Image Sharing May Facilitate Better OB/GYN Care

October 03, 2022 - On September 15, 2022, Philips announced FetView, a cloud-based image-sharing technology for obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) care. The platform was showcased at the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) World Congress. This technology can facilitate improved OB/GYN care practices, advance patient-provider communication, and increase savings.

LifeScienceIntelligence got to sit down with Matthijs Groot Wassink, general manager for OB/GYN Ultrasound at Philips, and David Elefante, product manager for OB/GYN Ultrasound at Philips, to discuss the platform and its potential impacts.

What Is the Platform?

“FetView, is a Cloud-based solution that doesn't require the installation of any software and hardware from the user perspective,” stated Elefante. “Through this portal, providers can access reports and images related to their patients. Of course, they also have sharing capabilities with their patients and colleagues.”

He went on to compare this technology to Netflix. “It’s a Netflix model. People pay a subscription and get a password and an account. Then, they can access a web portal to their FetView account everywhere, anytime.

So far, the technology has been adopted in 35 countries with various healthcare systems. Later, Elefante and Wassink explained the benefits they saw as the technology was implemented.

For providers, “FetView is very intuitive, it's customizable, and it can be adjusted the way the providers and patients want,” stated Wassink.

User Interface 

Below are images of the user interface shared by Philips.

Source: Philips

Concerns in OB/GYN Care

The main goal of this platform is to address several significant concerns in OB/GYN care. Wassink emphasized that OB/GYN is an exceptionally demanding field with a physician shortage. According to the American Journal of Managed Care, by 2050, there will be a shortage of up to 22,000 OB/GYN physicians.

With that in mind, researchers and developers at Philips have developed this technology to address critical issues in care that the physician shortage will only exacerbate.

Data Sharing

Currently, there are multiple limitations on data sharing of images between providers and their patients. Wassink shared that, with the current model, “data are in the hospital or clinic. There is an infrastructure to manage that information in the clinic, but it cannot be taken out of the clinic. It’s a big limitation for users because, of course, if physicians need or want to access their patient’s data, they need to stay in the hospital or clinic.”

“When it comes to sharing with patients, the only option nowadays is through printed thermal images or reports, or maybe downloaded on the USB pen or DVD drive,” added Wassink.

Wassink explained how ineffective these methods are. Thermal printing is costly, and there is a risk of losing or misplacing the images or data they expanded on later.

The FetView platform allows for easier and more efficient data sharing. “Patients and physicians can connect at any time and in any place. That is by far the biggest impact on the patients themselves. Patients and providers can store it for however long they want,” shared Elefante. “The other thing is the number of images and data that can be shared.”

Beyond just easier data sharing, the platform virtually eliminates the limitations on the amount of data that can be shared. Rather than a handful of images and brief summaries, providers can share complete patient data with their patients and colleagues

Patient Communication

The benefits of communication are not limited to just data sharing with FetView. The platform allows for direct and constant communication between patients and providers. This can significantly improve the quality of care in some instances.

For example, “IVF treatments are intense. A lot of anxiety goes along with that. If patients can interact via two-way communication with their physician at any time. That makes a difference in their experience,” added Wassink.

Rather than waiting until their next appointment, patients could communicate directly with their providers. While the platform is not yet fully developed, future iterations may also allow for remote patient monitoring.

Elefante adds that the benefit of this technology is appealing to a new generation of patients. Because generation Y and Z patients are more technologically oriented, this cloud-sharing method will be in their wheelhouse.

Cost Analysis

In our conversation, Wassink and Elefante implied that this technology might significantly reduce the cost of care in OB/GYN. Concerning prices, the interviewees explained direct and indirect costs.

Direct Costs

Direct costs may include the cost of the technology, printing, and more.

Traditional sharing technology is costly. “With a normal reporting system, as is currently in use in hospitals, license costs are in the tens of thousands of dollars. Additionally, an IT infrastructure must be maintained,” stated Wassink.

According to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), electronic health records can cost from $15,000 to $70,000 per provider.

Based on his discussions with hospital administration, Wassink reveals that system updates are a significant burden on healthcare systems. “There’s an alternative in the Cloud. Developers press a button, the system is updated, and nobody on the provider end must worry about it. That saves a lot of money and disruptions.”

“Other examples of direct cost include how much it costs a user or physician to print one single image on the thermal printer. Our team did the rough estimation, and it’s approximately €0.06 ($0.06) for every image printed on your thermal printer. In a day, most providers see between 10 and 15 patients, and every patient requires at least five or six images. That amounts to a couple of euros saved for every patient scanned daily because providers don't need to print anymore,” stated Elefante.

Indirect Costs

In addition to the direct costs, Elefante expanded on the indirect costs. “OBGYN is a field where the insurance for a practitioner is high. If in this context, needing to transfer information manually via printer, DVD or USB increases the risk of losing data,” he stated.

“There’s a lot of concern about patient data and data security, and that's where our team invests a lot of effort and time making sure that is secure. Security concerns will be one of the growing pains to ensure that customers get confidence that this is a proper way to move forward.”

The FetView technology minimizes the risk of losing data, reducing liability, and reducing overall legal costs.

Looking Forward

The researchers hope to advance this technology by adding remote patient monitoring tools. Should this product become universally used, it could revolutionize data sharing in OB/GYN and other medical specialties.

“The evolution our team wants to bring in healthcare with the Cloud is what's happening in our normal life for other instances. It’s needed in healthcare as it is happening already in our life in many aspects. We want to facilitate this because healthcare is more difficult. There are more barriers and limitations. We want to do it properly and safely for practitioners and patients. This is a transformation we need to work on in the healthcare space,” concluded Elefante.