The Ultrasound: Impact on Society

As portability and durability improve, clinician-performed ultrasound is seeing increasing use in rural, underdeveloped segments of the world. It is generally accepted that in rural and remote areas of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) diagnostic imaging is often insufficient, and in some instances completely lacking of this resource. In a study from Rwanda a country in the East of Africa, ultrasound was introduced at two rural district hospitals, and the impact on patient care was assessed by asking providers to identify if ultrasound changed patient management plans. Despite its limitations, the impact of ultrasound is beginning to become clear, and this tool has become indispensable for the examination of cardiac, abdominal, obstetric, vascular, traumatic and musculoskeletal complaints in the developing countries. Utilization of ultrasound technology by non-radiologist physicians has grown in the rapid manner.