Mettasound Veterinary Imaging is the only mobile ultrasound service in Austin able to offer both abdominal ultrasound and echocardiography, as well as ECG’s, blood pressure, and guidance for biopsies. Echocardiography and abdominal scans are performed in your clinic by a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer and submitted via telemedicine to a specialist for formal reporting. This is the same exact workflow that’s used in human medicine and allows for a cost effective and efficient means for you to obtain the diagnostics that your patients need. Sonographers are diagnostic medical professionals who operate ultrasonic imaging devices to produce images and videos of anatomy and diagnostic data. Sonographers are then responsible for issuing summary reports to the interpreting physician. Sonography requires specialized education and skills to view, analyze, and modify the scan to optimize the information in the image. Because of the high levels of decisional latitude and diagnostic input, professional sonographers have a high degree of responsibility in the diagnostic process. In other words, a registered diagnostic medical sonographer’s entire career and education is based in sonography. Having a registered diagnostic medical sonographer using telemedicine is much different than performing the exam yourself and sending in images for review. The old adage of “garbage in-garbage” out applies here as illustrated in this excerpt by respected veterinary radiologist Matt Wright DVM DACVR from his site Animal Insides.

"There is the impression (among veterinarians) that sending still images for review is similar to human medicine where an ultrasound technologist does the studies and they are reviewed by a specialist later. Contrary to the situation in veterinary medicine, human sonographers have a minimum of 2 years of focused ultrasound schooling coupled with at least 6 months of on the job experience."

As the use of ultrasound has grown in the veterinary field, so has the number of human trained sonographers who have cross-trained in this modality. In human medicine, RDMS sonographers perform ultrasound studies whereas radiologists and cardiologists rarely do and instead are able to use their valuable time more efficiently. Cross trained sonographers can be found performing the scans at numerous veterinary referral centers , universities, and mobile services, so that like their human counterparts, veterinary specialists can now make the better use of their time. Many human hospitals cross train their sonographers into different modalities, such as training an abdominal sonographer to perform echocardiograms and vice versa. Cross training a professional sonographer to perform diagnostic scans in veterinary medicine is no different and means that you are offering your client a comprehensive advanced study by the same highly skilled professionals trusted in human medicine. Read more about diagnostic medical sonographers. Read more about TBVME code (general supervision, sampling, consultants etc.): Rule 573.15 Rule 573.10 Rule 573.9

Payment can be made at the time of exam by check or credit card. Monthly billing is also available.

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