This appeared last week:
GP says tele-exam a 'first' in general practice
Canberra GP Dr Paresh Dawda is using a device to examine aged care residents remotely
11th October 2021
A handheld device under trial in Canberra will enable GPs to physically examine patients remotely, including ear, throat and lung checks.
ACT GP Dr Paresh Dawda has been using the technology on residents at Goodwin Aged Care Services in a pilot, and says it takes telehealth to the ‘tele-examination’ level.
He says he believes the pilot is a first in general practice, although tele-examination has been used in hospitals and rural settings.
The device includes an otoscope, stethoscope, basal thermometer, and digital camera which are used on the patient with data sent to the GP’s laptop, smartphone or tablet in real-time.
Dr Dawda, of Next Practice Deakin, says the consultations are clinically sound and as effective as face-to-face but without having to be in the same location.
“GP home visits or visits to residential care facilities are sometimes limited, partly due to the travel time, so providing care for those who most need GP consultations is a real challenge for the industry,” Dr Dawda said in a statement.
“I also believe it can provide a more positive experience for the patients by utilising the accessibility features of technology, for example, those who are hard of hearing can read the auto-captions on the screen,” says Dr Dawda.
In the Goodwin Aged Care Services trial, an aged care worker attends an appointment with a resident, and helps guide use of the attachments.
More here:
https://www.ausdoc.com.au/news/gp-says-teleexam-first-general-practice
We have also this report:
Goodwin pilots Tyto Care's tele-examination service for Australian seniors
The three-month trial will be extended to a hundred Goodwin residents and clients.
By Adam Ang
October 13, 2021 05:42 AM
ACT-based Goodwin Aged Care Services and medical clinic Next Practice Deakin have partnered to jointly try out a technology allowing general practitioners to conduct physical examinations on Australian seniors virtually.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Their three-month pilot programme will use a tele-examination solution by New York-based Tyto Care, provider of home examination and diagnosis solutions. The smartphone or tablet-based system features a suite of tools for aged care staff to use for the examination of ears, nose, lungs, heart, throat, skin, abdomen and temperature. Physical examinations are controlled and reviewed remotely by a physician in real-time.
The programme will engage around a hundred residents of Goodwin and other clients across the ACT. One device will be operated on-site in the David Harper House residential care facility by Goodwin and another device will be used by a home care team.
WHY IT MATTERS
The partners aim to make medical and GP examinations "more accessible" for senior citizens who have difficulty going out of their homes, especially during lockdowns. According to Dr Paresh Dawda of Next Practice Deakin, doctor visits to homes or residential care facilities are "sometimes limited, partly due to travel time".
The tele-examination solution by Tyto Care, he said, is "an excellent step forward in increasing accessibility and responsiveness of health services for Australian seniors." It can also provide a "more positive experience" for patients who have difficulty in hearing by letting them read auto-captions on screen, he added.
More here:
This sounds like a very useful adjunct to what is being done at present in a range of situations and should increase further the cases where telemedicine is useful. Interesting to see how it evolves – maybe home visits by robotic entities that examine the patient remotely as the telemedicine consult proceeds?
It is all moving fast – especially when combined with what is now being done in ‘Hospital in the Home’ and the Remote Patient Monitoring arena!
David.
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