How telepresence robots are used in healthcare

Telepresence robots are a relatively new innovation, but they have the potential to make a big impact on healthcare service delivery in remote areas. Telepresence robots are essentially a robot that allows you to virtually move around a space, and experience it as if you were there. Couple this with high-definition crystal clear audio and video, which provides remote healthcare practitioners with a new level of service delivery. Companies such as the Centre for Positive Behaviour Support have deployed robots to help them manage patients by allowing remote expert medical professionals to access patients in their home and other facilities, without the need for extensive travel.

Telepresence robots improving service delivery in remote area health

With COVID affecting nearly all aspects of every company's operations, a unique opportunity presented itself to CPBS, where a very real challenge existed. They were unable to physically support their clients. They needed a way to provide their expertise in person without being there face-to-face.

Throw in border travel restrictions, and the fact that a lot of their clients may be immunocompromised, the use of the Double Telepresence robot meant that each client could have access to healthcare 'on demand'.

Healthcare on demand

Imagine being able to 'dial a doctor’ and they would be able to physically see you, while you demonstrate the issue you're having and they are able to provide support as you need it? It's simply not tenable that those with existing mental and other physical disabilities rely on existing video conferencing technology for the following reasons;

1. Existing solutions need a user to 'accept' the call. A risk presented that if they are stuck on the floor, how could one find out if they were ok?

2. Relying on the client's technology. What if the video camera isn't set up facing the right way. Their computer crashes, or the WiFi doesn't work?

3. The patients you deal with, don't really like sitting still. Telepresence robots allow you to turn and face, or even walk with your patients.

TeleIn provides a Telepresence robotic solution powered by 5G or 4G LTE, that eliminates complexity for the client, improves remote practitioner service delivery, increases productivity and saves travel and other costs.

With patients now having access to Telepresence robots through the NDIS scheme,  their ease of use and widening availability is driving strong demand in remote area telemedicine, remote patient monitoring and other healthcare activities.

Confidentiality and security are taken seriously

Having access to a physical robot is one thing, patients need to be confident that their security and data privacy is taken seriously. All video and voice data is encrypted end-to-end using military-grade 256-bit encryption so it can't be intercepted in transit, and furthermore, no video or audio is ever recorded and stored on any server. Call logs are available to robot administrators showing who dialled into a robot at what time, for auditing purposes.

Conclusion

These robots are not just for the outback hospital or clinic. Many metropolitan health services are leveraging this technology for many reasons including mitigating COVID-19 cross-contamination and exposure, allowing family members to visit unwell family members in the hospital, remotely monitoring clinical staff, helping with patient compliance and more.

What are your thoughts on how telepresence robots can improve service delivery in remote areas for healthcare professionals? Leave a comment, or email an article to benjamin@telein.com.au

For more information on TeleIn's Telepresence Robots please visit http://www.telein.com/healthcare