GE HealthCare Collaborates to Advance Women’s Pelvic Imaging

GE HealthCare Collaborates to Advance Women's Pelvic Imaging

by John Conrad| Aug 23, 2024| NewsBrief

In a significant move to address gaps in women's healthcare, GE HealthCare has announced a collaboration with the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. The partnership, revealed on August 19, 2024, aims to revolutionize the diagnosis and management of female pelvic diseases and conditions through advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques.

Addressing a Critical Need

Women's pelvic health has long been an understudied area in medical research, often leading to misdiagnosis and ineffective treatment. The impact is substantial, with pelvic pain accounting for an estimated 20% of all outpatient appointments in secondary care for female patients in the U.S. This translates to approximately $882 million in outpatient management expenses.

Dr. Erin Angel, GE HealthCare's Global Vice President of Research and Scientific Affairs, highlighted the pressing need for this initiative: "Diseases and conditions impacting female patients below the belly button are often misdiagnosed, misunderstood, and understudied in our industry."

Project Scope and Leadership

The collaboration will be centered at the Center for Translational Imaging and Precision Medicine (CTIPM) at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Dr. Rebecca Rakow-Penner, Associate Professor of Radiology and Bioengineering at UC San Diego and Deputy Director for CTIPM, will lead the project.

The research will focus on developing:

1. Advanced MRI protocols for female-specific pelvic diseases
2. Comprehensive educational materials for clinicians

Special attention will be given to improving the visualization of conditions such as endometriosis and ovarian cancer, both in clinical and academic research settings.

Potential Impact

Dr. Rakow-Penner expressed optimism about the project's potential: "We aim to democratize advanced imaging for women and increase access to high-quality care in the San Diego community and beyond." She emphasized the need for a personalized approach to women's care and the potential to improve both diagnosis and management of female pelvic conditions.

The collaboration aims to create lasting impact by:

• Enabling faster and more accurate diagnoses
• Improving access to quality pelvic care for women
• Equipping clinicians with advanced tools and knowledge
• Potentially reducing healthcare costs associated with misdiagnosis and ineffective treatments

Global Reach

GE HealthCare plans to make the developed protocols and educational materials available as resources for its MRI users worldwide. This global distribution could significantly amplify the project's impact, potentially improving women's healthcare on an international scale.

Looking Ahead

As this collaboration unfolds, it represents a significant step towards addressing longstanding gaps in women's healthcare. By combining GE HealthCare's technological expertise with UC San Diego's clinical and research prowess, the project holds promise for advancing the standard of care for millions of women worldwide.

The medical community will be watching closely as this initiative progresses, potentially setting a new benchmark for how women's pelvic health is approached and treated in the future.