Summary: VSee and Advantech team up to allow Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) to develop and deploy the best medical teleconsultation and point-of-care services in Qatar by combining VSee’s simple telehealth software and Advantech’s AMiS mobile medical carts for a complete Telemedicine Solution.
Photo courtesy: Advantech and HMC Interview with Swati Verma, Sales and Marketing Manager Qatar, Allarch Healthcare Technalytics
Telemedicine introduction
Telemedicine is key to overcoming geographical barriers by providing medical assistance to patients who lack access to healthcare services and medical specialists.
For example, high-risk infants who require specialist neonatal care in the form of resuscitation procedures, can avoid costly, time-consuming transfers to specialist hospitals. Instead, care can be provided by other hospitals using telemedicine solutions. These solutions enable specialists to guide general practitioners through delicate procedures via live webcam video streams.
Another example is stroke treatment which is extremely time-sensitive. Each minute of untreated stroke means irreparable loss of brain tissue and possibly death. A telemedicine solution enables a stroke specialist to do an exam with a remote-control camera and to prescribe medication from the patient’s nearest healthcare facility. This way patients do not have to lose time in transit.
Deploying telemedicine solutions enhances point-of- care services
HMC, the main provider of secondary and tertiary healthcare in Qatar, manages 12 hospitals (nine specialist hospitals and three community hospitals), the National Ambulance Service, and Home Health Care Services. HMC has earned the significant distinction of becoming the first healthcare organization in the world to have all its hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI) under the Academic Medical Center accreditation program.
All of HMC’s hospitals have received the official Gold Seal of Approval® for accreditation under the JCI Academic Medical Center Hospital standards. Indeed, HMC has remained committed to delivering safe, effective, and compassionate care to patients. Their excellent reputation is supported by their innovative mobile medical service offerings. Advantech and VSee played important roles in developing these offerings as solution partners.
Choosing a secure and flexible telemedicine solution for integrated health delivery
Ms. Swati Verma, Sales and Marketing Manager Qatar at Allarch Healthcare Technalytics, said that HMC initially used Microsoft Lync followed by Skype for Business and Cisco Video Conferencing, before settling on VSee’s Video Telemedicine Solution. After considering the importance of security and low bandwidth video for connecting doctors and patients online, HMC searched for a flexible platform that could be rapidly scaled up. The result was the adoption of the VSee Telemedicine Solution.
VSee is a comprehensive telehealth platform designed specifically for healthcare applications. It complies with the regulatory standards specified in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and provides hosting in Qatar. The platform offers a unified remote healthcare delivery experience with simple and secure video conferencing, one-on-one or group text chat, document-sharing, and peripheral streaming functions. Additionally, VSee allows patients, partners, and internal staff to communicate as though they were meeting in-person. The platform can be integrated into other workflows, such as that from TeleStroke care, emergency medical services, and patient portals. HMC incorporated the VSee Telemedicine Solution into Advantech’s mobile medical carts to deliver portability and facilitate enhanced point-of-care services.
Enhanced telemedicine with a versatile computerized mobile medical cart
Ms. Verma stated that HMC’s decision to introduce Advantech and VSee’s co-created mobile medical carts to its hospitals and facilities ensured the security of patient information, enabled future system expansion, and streamlined long-term maintenance.
In an effort to improve patient care processes and ease staff workloads, Advantech’s AMiS mobile medical cart was equipped with the VSee Telemedicine Solution, a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera, and an audio system. AMIS carts feature a rugged industrial-grade design, high-performance Intel® processor, and are certified for medical safety. All cart components are designed without sharp edges to minimize the risk of pinched fingers or stubbed toes. The VSee API enabled Advantech to easily implement VSee’s video conferencing and screen sharing functions to provide an innovative telehealth platform. The AMiS cart+VSee mobile medical solution supports single-click real-time sharing with live annotations, remotely controlled PTZ cameras, and call answering from other mobile devices. This advanced functionality allows physicians to examine patients and share/modify medical documents, images, test results, and CT scans remotely.
The majority of AMiS mobile medical carts are used in trauma, emergency, and intensive care units. For easy telemedicine consultations, the AMIS cart+VSee mobile medical solution provides information security, system sustainability, and operational efficiency to HMC’s array of medical facilities.
Ms. Verma emphasized that HMC will continue promoting the use of mobile medical services at new hospitals and facilities. As a leading medical device innovator, Advantech was able to offer HMC robust and ergonomic products, system integration, customization services, and after-sales support. Overall, Advantech helped HMC establish the best point-of-care services in the whole of Qatar.
Learn about applications of this telemedicine solution below:
