ACT-based Goodwin Aged Care Services and medical clinic Next Practice Deakin have partnered to jointly try out a technology allowing general practitioners to conduct physical examinations on Australian seniors virtually.
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Their three-month pilot programme will use a tele-examination solution by New York-based Tyto Care, provider of home examination and diagnosis solutions. The smartphone or tablet-based system features a suite of tools for aged care staff to use for the examination of ears, nose, lungs, heart, throat, skin, abdomen and temperature. Physical examinations are controlled and reviewed remotely by a physician in real-time.
The programme will engage around a hundred residents of Goodwin and other clients across the ACT. One device will be operated on-site in the David Harper House residential care facility by Goodwin and another device will be used by a home care team.
WHY IT MATTERS
The partners aim to make medical and GP examinations “more accessible” for senior citizens who have difficulty going out of their homes, especially during lockdowns. According to Dr Paresh Dawda of Next Practice Deakin, doctor visits to homes or residential care facilities are “sometimes limited, partly due to travel time”.
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