Antwerp, Belgium — Mediport, a healthcare provider specialized in preventive health care, yesterday opened a new multidisciplinary healthcare center in Antwerp, Belgium. The facility will include GE HealthCare’s first One-Stop Clinic for Cardiology globally, which represents a pathway to diagnose cardiovascular disease within one day.
The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) has doubled since 1990, and is the leading cause of death globally, representing 32 percent of all deaths [1]. Looking ahead, the number of cases of cardiovascular disease are likely to increase substantially due to changing lifestyles, an ageing and growing population, and improved survival rates from heart attacks and stroke.
Up to 80% percent of heart attacks are preventable with early diagnosis and treatment [2]. Advanced cardiac imaging tests facilitate the early detection of heart disease, ultimately leading to better outcomes. Timely diagnosis and management of coronary artery disease can mitigate the risk of myocardial infarctions and related severe cardiac events. Multiple appointments are typically required to reach a diagnosis and diagnosis backlogs can lead to delayed access to critical treatment.
Mediport and GE HealthCare have co-designed a rapid cardiology care pathway with a focus on the patient experience, personalized and precise care. Equipped with fully comprehensive and premium cardiac equipment, the clinic aims to provide same-day diagnosis and careplan for patients ranging from wellness checks to stable chest pain management.
The patient journey begins with a rapid assessment where the patient's medical history is reviewed, and bloodwork is taken. Immediately following, the patient is assessed through an ECG and an ultrasound examination is performed and reviewed. A cardiologist will then meet with the patient and either discharge or recommend further testing, which could include a CT (computed tomography), stress test, or Holter assignment. The patient will receive their diagnosis and care plan prior to leaving the facility. This helps reduce anxiety and ensures a seamless, more efficient experience for patients.
The One-Stop Clinic model was first launched for breast cancer care at Europe’s leading cancer center Gustave Roussy in France. Gustave Roussy’s One-Stop Clinic has received more than 21,000 women since 2004, and more than 80% of them were able to obtain results and treatment planning if needed on the same day. It also delivered excellent accuracy (with a sensitivity of 98.4% and a specificity of 99.8%), while reducing total cost up to 50% per patient for benign cases, and 33% for malignant cases [3]. The model for breast has since been replicated in South America and the United States. Mediport in Belgium is the first to apply the One-Stop Clinic model to cardiology.
GE HealthCare’s One-Stop Clinic model redefines the patient experience by accelerating care and enabling a coordinated patient journey from the initial appointment through to a diagnosis and treatment plan in one place, on one day and with one multidisciplinary team.
Mediport plans to open five other multidisciplinary outpatient care centers in Belgium by 2028, each dedicated and specialized to the rapid diagnosis of a specific pathology.
[1] World Health Organization. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). June 11, 2021. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds). Accessed September 2023.
[2] World Health Organization. Cardiovascular diseases: Avoiding heart attacks and strokes. September 13, 2015. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/cardiovascular-diseases-avoiding-heart-attacks-and-strokes. Accessed September 2023
[3] The challenge of rapid diagnosis in oncology: Diagnostic accuracy and cost analysis of a large-scale one-stop breast clinic European Journal of Cancer 66 (2016) 131e137
