A groundbreaking medical care service aimed at bringing doctors to underserved communities in California is launching with a state-of-the-art audiovisual system.
The service is a $10 million test bed for online medical care provision by technology giant Cisco and some smaller local partners.
As the project rolls out, about 15 sites will be equipped with a telepresence suite that links patients by audio and video to a remote doctor.
The system is meant to emulate the usual doctor patient consultation.
The companies involved hope to provide integrated medical diagnostic equipment that brings quicker and better healthcare from doctors.
HD cameras and electronic equipment will let medical professionals examine the patient remotely and give patients the same opportunities to ask questions about the health and treatment as in a face-to-face meeting.
Additional specialist can also join in the consultation regardless of distance, reducing the cost of healthcare delivery and improving standards.
The HealthPresence scheme has undergone testing in a clinical environment for about two years, but Cisco wants to prove the concept works in the real world to demonstrate cost savings and healthcare improvements that can be applied to underdeveloped countries and disaster areas in vital need of health facilities.
The test is based in and around San Diego.
The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that with a predicted population increase, older people and other factors, the US faces a shortage of up to 159,000 primary care physicians by 2025.
Cisco hopes telemedicine technologies can help scarce healthcare professionals reach the widest patient population most efficiently.
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Tags: Cisco, HealthPresence