Reducing the Burden on Healthcare Systems: The Efficiency of 4D Imaging in Respiratory Medicine
Anyone who has faced a health challenge knows that a diagnosis can take time, often, a lot of time. Studies suggest that the average patient can wait 25 to 1,800 days for a diagnosis, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that this timeline can extend to four to five years for rare or complex diseases.
Lung diseases are challenging to diagnose, as symptoms develop gradually over many years. For instance, a patient with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) might experience a decade of cough, frequent respiratory infections, and breathlessness during exercise before receiving a formal diagnosis.
AI-Driven CT Innovations from 4DMedical Transform COPD Diagnosis and Patient Care
As COPD continues to grow as a global health burden—predicted by the World Health Organization (WHO) to become the third leading cause of death by 2030—innovative AI-driven medical imaging technologies are rapidly advancing diagnosis, staging, and treatment. In a recent Radiology Today article, “Breathing Room,” writer Beth W. Orenstein explores how clinicians are increasingly relying on advanced CT imaging solutions.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and the Importance of Lung Imaging
Over 12.5 million Americans live with COPD. The discomfort caused daily by COPD increases rates of anxiety and depression in individuals and can severely limit their ability to work, causing significant financial damage to families. The American Lung Association estimates that the total economic cost of COPD is close to $50 billion each year, including $29.5 billion for direct healthcare expenditures, $12.4 billion for indirect mortality costs, and $8.0 billion for indirect morbidity costs.