Convex has just added another solution to the range of services that have been presented around the potential that the 4th mobile generation (based on LTE) can bring to communications in remote areas.
HealthPoint is a Teleconsultation solution, but it immersively addresses the experience of specialist consultations through high definition video conferencing, creating a doctor’s office prepared for remote clinical assistance and collaboration between primary and hospital care.
“Our goal is to provide a solution for health centers and extensions that are in remote areas and with an aging population, where it is not always possible to have access to specialist consultations”, explained Marco Ferreira, consultant in the development area to TeK solutions and services at Convex.
The solution is already ready and will be on the ground from the 3rd of May, with the first consultations between a health center and a Hospital, and the objective is that it will be extended in the short term in terms of geographical scope.
The limitations of the National Health Service network are one of the main problems that this type of solution faces, so the promises of greater bandwidth in the mobile networks that LTE advocates enhance the use of HealthPoint in places where the fixed network offers low speeds.
Video conferencing with high definition images, adequate lighting and the combination of medical examination equipment, such as autoscopes for throat and nose analysis and stethoscopes linked to the collaboration system, are some of the HealthPoint’s most valuable assets. The entire process is monitored locally but “people get the feeling that they really had an appointment with a specialist”, says Marco Ferreira.
Still without LTE, the adoption of the solution may require the installation of dedicated lines up to 4 Mbps, or the upgrade of existing lines, but Marco Ferreira guarantees that the savings generated in 3 years far outweigh the investment in the solution. “We estimate that 3 years could save 2 million euros in travel by specialists alone. This is a clearly profitable solution for the health system”, he stresses.
