Telehealth

The deal will enable patients in China to access U.S. physicians via a portal.

Swinburne University of Technology, a public university located in Melbourne, Australia, has partnered with Coviu, a telehealth software platform, to further embed digital health technology in the classroom, clinic and research. What’s it about The partnership will engage students studying health-related courses, and the wider community, in using the latest telehealth technology, equipping them to treat Australians remotely and redefine models of healthcare. Coviu, a company that specialises in online health consultations, will provide access to its technology for Swinburne students, researchers and clinical services. Coviu is also a finalist and winner of the 4th Innovations Challenge Award for their PhysioROM solution at the HIMSS AsiaPac Conference in 2018. Students will learn how to break down the barriers created by distance between healthcare professionals and patients. Swinburne will embed Coviu’s technology into the curriculum of nursing, occupational therapy, psychology, dietetics, health science, and digital health and informatics. These will be taught through Swinburne’s new Health Precinct, which utilises the latest in technology and facilities. The technology will also be implemented into Swinburne’s new Master of Physiotherapy, and Graduate Certificate in Teleaudiology, set to launch from mid-2019. On the record “Having our students prepared for a workforce where healthcare is increasingly delivered remotely is imperative and something that is at the core of digital health’s future in Australia. We need graduates that are comfortable using this technology and Swinburne will produce them,” said Dr Mark Merolli, Academic Director of Digital Health and Informatics at Swinburne in a statement. “Health and digital technology go hand in hand, and this partnership reflects Swinburne’s commitment to being a leader in digital health and our passion for innovation in all aspects of teaching, training and research,” he added. “Research has shown that up to 80 per cent of clinician visits can be provided online with comparable clinical outcomes. We’ve worked hard to make our telehealth technology simple to use for both patients and providers, however it’s absolutely essential that the next generation of medical professionals are equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to make online consultations as effective as possible. Our partnership with Swinburne will ensure that this process takes place,” said Dr Silvia Pfeiffer, CEO and co-founder of Coviu.

The upgrade to network infrastructure meant big changes for the rural health system in the Nebraska panhandle, where great connectivity for small towns is uncommon.

11Health puts intelligence and sensors into medical bags attached to patients living with long-term conditions to remotely monitor those patients, says founder and CEO Michael Seres.

A new survey from the American Telemedicine Association assesses the current state of data exchange standards for remote care and offers best practices for health systems looking to capitalize on its potential.

Improving care for patients with chronic disease is about more than just medicine, and online resources are giving patients a strong voice in the business of healthcare, says Colin Hung, CMO of HealthcareScene.com.

Understanding what customers need is critical to the VC firm for AI, medical apps and the next generation of wearables, among other investment areas, says Menlo Ventures Partner Greg Yap.

The scheme preyed upon hundreds of thousands of elderly and disabled patients, DOJ says. 

New Zealand’s Northland District Health Board (DHB) is trialling an oral telehealth service for children and adolescents with plans to expand it to adult services over time. The DHB is piloting the use of Zoom video conferencing technology and a specialised intraoral camera to allow dentists at Whangarei Hospital to do examinations and consultations on children at remote locations. The first trial involved an oral health therapist operating the camera at Kaitaia District Hospital. The therapist sees the images live so is able to adjust the camera as needed and on instructions from the dentist. Previously, the dentist would have travelled to Kaitaia and seen the patients in person. Oral health therapist Kirstie Culpan said by having teledentists, children can have their consults on time. If needed, they can also be placed on the general anaesthetic waitlist as soon as possible. Northland DHB telehealth and mobility programme Manager Roy Davidson said, “The live clinical quality imaging provided by the specialised intraoral camera is the key technical component that makes these clinics possible.” He said the telehealth setup has at times proved to be a positive distraction in the clinic as children are generally interested in the technology. The service is targeting children and adolescents initially but will expand to adult services in time. A second pilot clinic was held on April 5 linking to Kerikeri, and an assessment will now be undertaken and a decision made on scale and timing of rolling out the service. “At this stage, there appears to be strong potential to link up the oral health locations throughout Northland, including the mobile dental clinics,” Davidson said. “Linking the more rural mobile dental clinics would provide a significant improvement to access of care for those families unable to travel to centres.” He said the telehealth service also provides support and peer contact engagement from dentists to dental and oral health therapists who are working in the community service. “Telehealth enables assessment in real time and discussion with whānau members who are with the patient and is a collaborative tool, enabling knowledge up skilling for the clinical teams involved,” Davidson said. “Telehealth reduces travel for clinicians, reduces travel for families and provides faster access to specialist dental care.” This article first appeared on eHealthNews.nz.

From brain-computer interfaces to nanorobotics, a new report from Frost & Sullivan explores leading edge developments and disruptive tech.