The doctor will
see you now
The most expensive way to deliver care is in a hospital – but discharging patients too soon can lead to complications and rehospitalizations. That’s where robots can help – and sometimes a robot can be as simple as a video/audio system that can roll around under remote control, transmitting communications over a Verizon 4G cellular network.
Instead of having to drag kids back to the hospital for frequent office checks after surgery, Hiep Nguyen, a urologist/surgeon at Children’s Hospital Boston, can call the family at home and do the check remotely.
You’d think it might feel impersonal and alienating, but the opposite seems to be true. "Families love the robot," says Nguyen. "They feel secure that they have a lifeline to their doctor."
In this pilot project, the robot, made by VGo Communications and described in yesterday’sBoston Globe, is mainly providing videoconferencing. Eventually Nguyen hopes to add equipment to blood pressure, heart rate, glucose level and lung function and analyze urine samples.
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Nguyen thinks telemedicine systems, by virtue of being in the child’s home, transforms families’ roles and their attitude toward their children’s care. As he wrote recently on this blog, it’s one of the main advantages he sees in playing with robots.
Hiep Nguyen
"This kind of care engages the family," he says. "Right now, most parents approach healthcare for their child like leaving their car with a mechanic. With the robot, parents become responsible for the healthcare of their child, and can proactively prevent problems."
To get an idea of what it’s like to use this type of system, check out this clip on CNN, where a VGo robot is enabling a homebound child to attend school virtually:
Nancy Fliesler, Vector’s editor, has been senior science writer at Children’s Hospital Boston since 2003, spotting innovation trends and covering virtually every clinical and laboratory research department in the hospital. She previously worked for the ABC News medical unit, helped produce science programs for K-8 teachers for the Harvard-Smithsonian Science Media Group, and worked on video productions for the Mental Illness Education Project. Prior to that, she was executive editor of Journal Watch, and also produced and directed the award-winning documentary Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown. She holds a BA from Oberlin College (Phi Beta Kappa) and an MS in science and medical journalism from Boston University.
