The Remote Presence Robot (RP-7) from InTouch Health is a mobile telemedicine unit that connects physicians and specialists with patients and other doctors who are too distant to consult with them in person.
“This technology is leaps and bounds above standard telemedicine,” says Richard Ash, CEO of Ortonville Area Health Services, a small rural hospital in Ortonville, Minnesota. “As a small provider in a rural community, we sometimes tend to feel isolated. Access to specialty care is a continuing challenge. Having the InTouch robot has suddenly brought a whole group of specialists right to our patients’ bedsides. And it is doing it in a very human-like way.”
InTouch Robot is a Multitasker
Like standard telemedicine, The InTouch RP-7 System lets patients and their off-site providers see and hear each other in real time through computers equipped with cameras and microphones.
Because the cameras and microphones, as well as various other monitoring equipment, are housed in a remote-controlled mobile robot, the telemedicine experience is much more life-like for the patient and effective for the physician than a monitor on a table. The robot can be entirely controlled by the consulting doctor without assistance from the local staff, although a local physician or nurse is typically present.
The specialist’s face appears where the robot’s "face" would be and can even turn with the built-in camera to ‘look’ at monitors, clinical data, or even people, such as family members for more natural-feeling conversation.
Preparing for an Exam By a Robot Doctor
In preparation for an RP-7 consultation with an off-site specialist, patient information such as lab values and EKG’s may be faxed to the consulting physician in advance. When time doesn’t allow for that, an OR technician or nurse can simply use the RP-7's camera to take a digital picture of the EKG or report and "hand" it to the doctor via the computer.
With features like built-in stethoscope and blood pressure monitoring equipment the RP-7 also allows the off-site specialist to gather vital information directly and hear or see the results as if he or she were there. Other equipment, such as ultrasound, EKG or various scopes are optional and can be added to the RP-7 as needed.
InTouch RP-7 Robot Saves Money
From an economic standpoint, Ash says telemedicine makes sense for patients, the rural community, and the hospital.
Even when rural patients drive themselves to see a specialist for a follow-up visit, the cost in lost work time, food, fuel and other expenses on the road can be significant. By allowing the patient to stay in in their community for care, the RP-7 not only saves those patients time and money, but also helps keep their hospital strong.
Robot Doctor Used by Multiple Specialists
Specialists utilizing the RP-7 technology around the U.S. include cardiologists, nephrologists, ob/gyns, pulmonologists, neurologists, dermatologists and traum/emergency medicine physicians.
For specialists, the RP-7 gives greater control than standard telemedicine. Orders written remotely, for instance, come directly out of the robot’s printer, reducing the potential for errors. The robot, which "sleeps" on its own docking station to recharge its batteries, can even be "woken up" remotely and moved to a patient’s bedside without assistance from the local staff.
The RP-7 is the first and only FDA-approved remote presence system which allows doctors to use medical equipment like a stethoscope from a distance. According to the company, RP-7 robots have been involved in more than 100,000 clnical sessions.
Alex Strauss - Journalist Alex Strauss has written extensively for radio, television, magazines and the web for more than 20 years. During her career in ...
