Medical deserts: a reality with many faces
In France, more than 8 million people live in a “medical desert”, an area where access to a healthcare professional, particularly a specialist, is difficult or even impossible. The term “medical desert” describes a real problem: extended waiting times and long distances to travel for a simple examination, breaks in monitoring or patients stopping their treatment.
The problem is not limited to remote rural areas. It also affects semi-urban areas, nursing homes, prisons, overseas territories and mountainous regions. For patients and healthcare professionals alike, this situation is putting increasing pressure on the healthcare system.
Ultrasound, a basic examination but too often out of reach
Ultrasound is now one of the most commonly used examinations in the world. Simple, non-invasive, radiation-free, and suitable for all age groups, it allows the rapid diagnosis of a wide range of pathologies: digestive disorders, pregnancy monitoring, cardiac anomalies, kidney problems, infections, etc.
But getting an ultrasound relies on one essential thing: the presence of a specialist doctor who can use the probe and interpret the images in real time. Many areas that are under pressure lack these professionals, or they have too much work or are only there some of the time. As a result, ultrasound, although so essential, becomes difficult to access for those who need it most.
Tele-ultrasound: bringing expertise to where it is lacking
Tele-ultrasound offers a solid solution to this inequality in access to healthcare. Thanks to the technology developed by AdEchoTech, it is now possible for a specialised doctor to remotely operate a robotic ultrasound probe wherever the patient is.
This solution, named MELODY, was designed and industrialised in France, in collaboration with the CNES (the National Centre for Space Studies), the ESA (European Space Agency) and several university hospitals. It allows patients to receive real-time ultrasounds with the same image quality and control as an in-person examination.
What will tele-ultrasound really change in a medical desert?
Tele-ultrasound offers a quick, reliable diagnosis without the need to travel. This reduces patient stress by avoiding difficult journeys and allowing them to be treated in their usual facility. It makes it easier for specialists to work remotely and enhances the role of local caregivers, who can actively participate in the examination without technical imaging expertise. For healthcare facilities, the solution cuts the costs of patient transfers and one-off appointments, optimises the use of existing equipment. Being able to offer a modern, efficient, and reassuring service makes them more attractive for patients and staff.
A response to public health challenges
Tele-ultrasound is part of a dynamic transformation of the healthcare system. It complements other methods like teleconsultation, regional and local professional health communities (in France, CPTS) and mobile care units. Above all, it brings expertise where this was lacking, without waiting for the hypothetical redistribution of healthcare professionals.
It is a pragmatic solution, quick to set up, compatible with existing infrastructures, and already used in more than 50 facilities in France and internationally.
A technology that gives back equal access to imaging
The fight against medical deserts is not just about employing new doctors. It is also about allowing all patients, wherever they live, to have access to the right care at the right time.
By making ultrasound accessible remotely, MELODY is making care pathways seamless, local and safe again. A profoundly transformative innovation that places technology at the service of everyone’s health.