Cassling Resources Support Urology and Prostate Health Awareness

September marks two important events, each focused on an aspect of healthcare overlooked by far too many patients until it’s too late.

Urology Awareness Month and National Prostate Health Month, each happening this month, emphasize the need for citizens of all ages, and especially those in at-risk demographics, to take proactive steps to ensure the health of areas of the body that, quite frankly, many patients aren’t exactly comfortable talking about. But the events take on newfound importance this year, when so many have put off critical preventive screenings out of fears associated with the ongoing pandemic.

At Cassling, we want to do our part to raise awareness, and that’s why we’re offering a number of resources that support providers as well as raise overall awareness of urologic and prostate health.

Free Urology Awareness Month Campaign Materials

We want to cast a spotlight on the professionals in the healthcare field who go above and beyond to protect the urologic health of their patients.

To that end, we’ve come out with a series of free resources that urology departments and anyone seeking to honor the work of these individuals can request.

• Urology Awareness Month Posters – Put these up throughout your facility to recognize your urology team’s efforts.
• Patient Education Flier – Offering ten tips on improving urologic health, these one-pagers can be printed out, emailed to patients, or displayed on your website or social media to help patients understand the steps they can take for long-term health.
• Word Search Activity – This fun game features vocabulary centered around urology.
• Social Media Toolkit – Post images and messages related to urology health and optimized for social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

I encourage you to order and download these materials. We’ve found they’re a simple yet effective way to remind patients and healthcare professionals alike of your commitment to urologic health and the simple steps that can make such a large difference.

Prostate MRI Webinar and Podcast

In addition to urology health awareness, we have a couple different resources focused on prostate health.

First up is a webinar scheduled for September 23, 2020. Brooke Zilinskas, MMS, PA-C, Physician Assistant in the Department of Urology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, will speak to attendees about how prostate MRI can play an important role in the detection and treatment of prostate cancer. She’ll go over what clinical experts need to know about this procedure, take a look at MR/Fusion biopsy procedures, highlight best practices and review a few case studies.

This is a great chance to learn more about a rapidly expanding field of study, while also earning 1.0 CE credit from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists. It’s also yet another way to encourage awareness among your team during Urology Awareness Week. With group attendance sheets and sign-up available, you can organize a virtual or (socially distanced) lunch and learn where everyone on your team can learn more about prostate MRI together.

In addition to this webinar, check out an episode of the Cassling Academy Podcast that finds Cassling President Dr. Kyle Salem in discussion with the University of California-San Francisco’s Dr. Arnold Friedman about prostate MRI and the impact it’s having (and will continue to have) on healthcare. Listen in the player below, and if you like what you hear, subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you can hear the full back catalogue of episodes and receive updates on imaging and other important topics in the future.

Brand New AI-Based Tech for Diagnostic Confidence

It would be a disservice not to mention one of the most exciting topics going in healthcare: artificial intelligence.

Recently, the FDA gave clearance to an AI-based MR interpretation assistant focused specifically on prostate imagery. The idea behind the software, which was cleared at the same time as a similar brain image-focused application, is to free up radiologists’ time by processing routine activities.

The AI-Rad Companion Prostate MR for Biopsy Support automatically segments the prostate, marking the organ’s outer contour in seconds, whereas manual segmentation could take minutes. The radiologist is able to mark the suspect areas and send the annotated MRI images to the urologist. These can then be fused with ultrasound images taken during a biopsy, helping you detect significant prostate carcinomas and improve patient care.

AI-based applications are finally living up to their promise, and it’s clear that, rather than taking over for physicians and radiologists, these tools are freeing healthcare professionals from mundane tasks that would otherwise take up an inordinate amount of time. Prostate and imaging, as well as any imaging tied to AI, is entering a new phase that could have direct and lasting benefits for patients and providers alike.

Urology Imaging Solutions

Finally, no discussion about urology awareness would be complete without highlighting some of the exciting technologies that providers are using to make a real difference in the lives of their patients.

Systems like the Uroskop Omnia MAX were developed to give exceptional mobility to the provider while still offering a finely detailed image that will aid in an accurate examination and intervention. With all-side patient access and smart system positioning that can be activated at the push of a single button, the Uroskop Omnia MAX can help you capture the entire kidneys, ureter and bladder (KUB) area in a single shot at the lowest possible dose.

Mobile C-arm technologies also have a role to play in helping you during urologic surgical procedures. The Cios Alpha can provide optimal flexibility thanks in part to its intuitive touch screen user interface, while the Cios Fusion system can enable you to mark anatomical structures in crystal clear detail directly in the image.

No matter your needs, the urologic systems available now will help you be well-equipped to provide the kind of high-quality experience you no doubt pride yourself on offering to patients.

Ur Turn To Be a Pro

We hope you find these various urologic and prostate health resources helpful. This month provides a wonderful opportunity to remind your patients (and even your team) of the importance of coming in for preventive exams and, if necessary, scheduling the kinds of procedures that can improve wellbeing.