Trading a Stethoscope for a Handheld: How Ultrasound Can Become the Ultimate ”Wow” Device for Doctors and Patients

On today’s episode of the Ultrasound Powered Clinician, Ohad speaks with Dr. Thomas Cook, Program Director for Emergency Medicine at Palmetto Health/University of South Carolina. They discuss Dr. Cook's longtime use of ultrasound for quickly diagnosing patients, his twenty-five years of training other doctors to reap ultrasound's benefits, and how he wows his patients with the technology.

Topics discussed:

• How Dr. Cook learned ultrasound through a serendipitous moment, and why he's essentially traded in his stethoscope for a handheld ultrasound device.
• The ways in which ultrasound has evolved in both capabilities and size, from massive lab-based machines to a handheld device that can be carried in the back pocket "like a wallet."
• How Dr. Cook saw ultrasound usage and training expand as it resulted in more positive results and important life-altering diagnoses for patients.
• Why handheld ultrasound overcomes the barrier of logistics and hesitancy to rolling in a cart-based system during busy times — it's already in your pocket and ready to use.
• Why patients view ultrasound as "the ultimate wow" and how seeing inside their body helps patients better understand their illnesses.
• Advice for practitioners just getting started in ultrasound, including the need to practice, practice, practice.
• The opportunities for advancement in ultrasound technology, and how AI models can improve in order to provide better training and guidance.

Resources Mention: 

• 3rd Rock Ultrasound: 3rdrockultrasound.com