Next-generation Welch Allyn exam tools provide larger viewing areas for clinicians with the same comfortable controls
In developing the new Welch Allyn MacroView® Plus Otoscope and PanOptic™ Plus Ophthalmoscope, Welch Allyn product engineers and clinical researchers spoke to more than 1,000 clinicians to fully understand clinical needs in these ear and eye exam devices. There was a common theme – clinicians wanted dramatic improvements in the viewing area.
So, the MacroView Plus Otoscope has a three times larger viewing area compared to standard or pocket otoscopes and the PanOptic Plus Ophthalmoscope has a 20 times larger viewing area in comparison to traditional ophthalmoscopes. Clinicians also wanted the new devices to be easy to use, so they were designed with familiar controls while adding new innovations.
“It’s transformational in the way doctors are seeing an ear or eye when they do an exam,” said Megan Schneider, Director of Marketing, Physical Exam and Diagnostics for Baxter, which completed its acquisition of Welch Allyn owner Hillrom late last year. “The new heads and handles significantly outperform the older standard system they’re used to and [outperform] device heads in most offices.”
Schneider says this a great opportunity for distribution representatives to discuss this category with customers and introduce them to our new Welch Allyn devices. “We can show them our new offerings and bring them better tools that enable faster exams,” she said.
Baxter’s Welch Allyn MacroView Plus Diagnostic 3.5 V Otoscope has a familiar form and feel for clinicians. With the ability to move from optical to digital, clinicians can capture and share ear images for consultation when using the MacroView Plus Otoscope and Welch Allyn iExaminer SmartBracket paired with a smart device and the free Welch Allyn iExaminer Pro App.
“Since images of the ear can be quickly captured and documented, the caregiver can have better conversations about the patient’s health,” Schneider said. “Now the physician can show the patient and caregiver what the ear looks like. That’s really powerful because many parents whose children have earaches have no idea what the ear looks like, but now the physician has the opportunity to share that.”
The Welch Allyn PanOptic Plus Diagnostic 3.5 V Ophthalmoscope has added Quick Eye Alignment technology to help direct patient gaze for better optic disc alignment. Paired with long-lasting LED lamps and DuraShock technology, the PanOptic Plus Ophthalmoscope is backwards compatible with existing Welch Allyn 3.5 V power sources, or with their new Lithium Ion Plus power handle for increased efficiency.
Primary care settings and pediatrician offices, along with urgent care and emergency departments, should be the focus customers for distribution representatives. Those clinicians will most likely be very familiar and recognize the U.S. market-leading Welch Allyn physical exam devices, and many might already have the integrated wall system or desk set.
“When you say the brand name Welch Allyn, it’s recognized,” Schneider said. “People say, ‘that’s what I see on my doctor’s wall.’”
Distribution representatives can familiarize themselves with these products through three- to four-minute how-to videos on YouTube for the MacroView Plus Otoscope and the PanOptic Plus Ophthalmoscope.