POLYCLINIC IN YOUR POCKET; HEALTHCARE AR WEARABLES
Technological advancements enable healthcare facilities to improve service delivery and make healthcare accessible to the most remote communities. Telemedicine is a technological breakthrough in the field of medicine that enables health experts to provide diagnosis and preventive care remotely.
However, the area of telemedicine was understudied before the pandemic hit. Due to the increased risk of virus transmission and restricted mobility to limit infections, in-person health services had to be postponed. According to OECD (2021), physical primary care consultations declined by 40 percent in Australia, and average daily hospital visits plunged by 38% in the third quarter of 2020.
Some of the results of this are now being witnessed in the first half of 2023, with far along, undiagnosed cases of cancer arising in the thousands. It is now that the health and care industries, particularly in Australia, are acknowledging AR wearables as a true catalyst of digital transformation, improving treatment and increasing the reach and quality of care.
Benefits of AR in Healthcare
Telemedicine is the use of telecommunication technology to provide healthcare services remotely. The spike in the emergence and adoption of telemedicine technology has enabled individuals to keep a polyclinic in their pocket and utilize it anytime and anywhere.
While telemedicine saw a notable rise during the pandemic, it has been around for years. There are several benefits for healthcare facilities that integrate their business models with telemedicine technology.
No Traveling Costs
Regular hospital visits can be costly, specifically if healthcare facilities are outside your vicinity. Individuals living in rural areas also must bear travel costs, which can make access to healthcare services extremely expensive.
Wearable telehealth technology can allow a general GP, in a remote area, to connect via headset to a specialist clinic and receive advice and support for specialist treatment. Telemedicine also allows for in-home virtual diagnosis, which ultimately reduces traveling expenses.
Better Assessments
Telemedicine allows medical experts to make better assessments through a ‘see what I see’ concept design. Clinicians with a wearable headset are able to share a view of their patient from their POV with other clinicians, while also being able to access medical records, scans, and other medical documents with a voice command.
Remote triaging allows more experienced clinicians to weigh in on assessments and diagnoses in real-time.
Health Equity
Telemedicine has driven the idea of health equity by offering everyone the privilege of benefiting from healthcare services just at the touch of a button.
Technology has broken the cycle of differentiating remote minorities from the rest of the community by allowing them the same access to the correct physicians to relieve disease burden in certain communities.
Hippo – Bringing Augmented Reality in Healthcare
Overcoming distance and time barriers, Hippo Technologies Inc. allows remote collaboration between healthcare teams and remote experts to treat patients.
While its Virtual Care headset delivers a “see what I see” viewpoint to observers as well as participants, the Virtual Care platform enables specialists and students to observe examinations and procedures in real-time from any location.
Key Features
Cross-Platform Integration
The headset allows integration of third-party videoconferencing applications, like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, to connect with existing organization structures for efficient collaboration.
Advanced Remote Control:
The user can assign advanced remote control to observers, such as a flashlight and zoom function.
Engaged Collaboration:
The headset allows highly-engaged collaboration with remote experts via a high-definition camera and advanced audio features.
Three Headset Options:
The headset comes in three variants to suit different needs and requirements.
The bottom line is that telemedicine is emerging with new features and updates every other day. The future of the healthcare industry is driven by technology and digital adoption and Hippo Virtual Care is a digital catalyst that allows organizations to transform digitally. Should you like to demo this technology within your healthcare organization, get in touch with our AR consultants today!
