Recently TV cameras caught the health havoc of makeshift operating rooms on a small island following the Haitian earthquake. Reporters described operative procedures as rudimentary trauma care minus the medicine and technology we take for granted.
In Florida – only a short plane trip away- Neurology Mobile Systems Associates Inc. brings that technology into play, diagnosing and treating neurological diseases on a daily basis. Working in partnership with hospitals and physicians they provide intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (INM) of spinal cord function during brain and spinal surgeries, and on-site neurological diagnostics testing.
In-office Testing
Even before entering the surgical suites, NMSA also can help physicians operate an efficient medical office, providing patients with the highest quality of care and satisfaction, AND make a profitable return by providing on-site licensed, certified technicians with the state of the art equipment to provide diagnostic testing in-office.
Marilyn Alfaro, NMSA President and CEO, said “We work as your treatment partner using technology to help the patient learn how to recover from the injury, control pain, prevent further injury and help obtain the accurate documentation you require; all within convenient and familiar office environs.”
NMSA provides the technology and expertise to assemble all the necessary skills & equipment in one place – the doctors office – to treat patients accordingly without waiting and relying on communications from or coordination with other physician offices to receive test results in a timely fashion. Patients avoid time delays and heightened anxiety because they do not need to schedule the same tests in different locations. Not only does this improve the continuity and quality of care afforded the patients, but it also provides the doctors a mechanism by which they can quickly receive test results. This makes their practice more efficient and enhances patient care.
As a result of this continuity of treatment and quicker diagnostic turn-around NMSA services also help avoid the hassle and potential patient loss to referral specialists. This also addresses frequent patient complaints of discomfort, difficulty, inconvenience, confusion and annoyance at being shuttled from specialist to specialist complete with added paperwork.
Finally, physicians can turn un-used or under utilized office space into a profit center because a small room and bed is all that is required.
Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring
There is no doubt, even in todays world of medical miracles, that spine surgery can be unpredictable given the potential for damage to the nervous system by the hardware and instrumentation used and inserted near the nerves. There is significant value for surgeons to be able to have experienced and well-trained technicians monitoring the nerve responses during the operation.
NMSAs intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (INM) professionals bring equipment and specially trained personnel into the operating rooms to evaluate the functioning of the spinal cord and nerves during spinal surgery. They also serve as the eyes and ears for the surgeons providing them immediate feedback minimizing the risk of nerve damage. This has been shown to increase safety and improve outcomes in complex spinal surgeries, according Alfaro.
Hospital officials recognize that outsourcing INM allows them to reduce their capital expenses and personnel costs while enhancing patient safety and surgeons peace of mind. NMSAs technicians are well trained and experienced professionals dedicated to patients well being and doctors satisfaction. Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring provides an added level of caution, which greatly improves patients safety and reduces the liability surgeons and hospitals face, Alfaro explained.
INM is quick, painless, simple, and inexpensive and much more effective in identifying neurological damage or misplacement of hardware than imaging with X-ray or CT scans, according to studies.
Recordings are monitored live through the entire surgical procedure with no harm or inconvenience to the patient. This real-time feedback can be vital in helping surgeons avoid nerve tissue damage during surgery. Technicians monitor the nerve responses on-site during surgeries while a neurophysiologist may be involved in observing and interpreting the recordings even from a different location. This real-time interpretation by an experienced neurophysiologist is the standard of care in many parts of the United States.
INM is also widely used during other surgeries including brain surgery, ear surgery, and other arterial surgeries.
Neurology Mobile Systems Associates Inc. is an IDTF licensed in Florida to provide all types of diagnostic testing and accepting Medicare, PPOs, and HMO. NMSA built on creating lasting relationships with our medical partners and providing exceptional quality services to physicians, hospitals and clinics, has been serving the South Florida community for over 20 years
