Vuzix and COVID-19: Telemedicine on Smart Glasses to Transform Healthcare Industry

Diagnosing patients remotely with telemedicine

The ongoing pandemic tests the global healthcare limits. Indeed, social isolation helps to limit the virus’ spread, but hospitals and senior care facilities in many countries are overrun. As a result, doctors are unable to give many patients the attention they need.

READ: Could smart glasses shorten your office commute? 

However, the pandemic’s impact goes beyond those directly affected by the virus. Patients with complications and other health issues not related to the coronavirus have less access to doctors.

This problem is amplified for those with open wounds or are recovering from surgery - particularly in retirement homes. Previously, wound specialists needed to be on-site to access and administer treatment.

With telemedicine, smart glasses make care workers capable of dealing with many more health issues directly.

Smart glasses could help fill the resource gap caused by COVID-19

Stay at home, doc

Most medical resources and talent are currently dedicated to the COVID-19 fight. Consequently, seniors requiring wound care assistance at 3am are less likely to receive professional help. 

Smart glasses allow healthcare specialists to help guide care providers remotely - no matter how complex the situation.

In collaboration with software partners like Librestream, Vuzix smart glasses have endless potential in the telemedicine realm.

• First-person view: Specialists can’t always be on-site. With smart glasses, they can see very closely what care providers are dealing with in real-time.
• ID points-of-interest: Using augmented reality (AR) tools, practitioners on either end of a call can identify important areas. Be it circling a wound, highlighting a nerve or locating a pressure point, images drawn on the smart glasses screen remotely can eliminate the communication barrier posed by smartphones and tablets.
• 24/7 service: No matter the location of specialists and care workers, patients can receive treatment with ease. 
• Record and teach: Calls can be recorded securely and for education purposes. This is particularly helpful to new practitioners.

The pandemic forces the healthcare industry to lean on smart glasses for support
Credit: Wearable Technologies

Transforming healthcare

The impact of COVID-19 will be felt long after the current pandemic ends. Indeed, society will question more the wisdom of in-person meetings and attempts at personal contact.

In some countries, frontline healthcare workers lack personal protective equipment. Evidently, those tasked with protecting society from the virus risk infection are themselves at risk.

Smart glasses could help mitigate this issue. PPE can be distributed to a select number of practitioners who need direct patient access, while specialists can provide off-site support from a safe distance. 

Could the pandemic speed up how quickly smart glasses replace smartphones in hospitals, and beyond?

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