Rhode Island Hospital First to Test Google Glass in ED

Rhode Island Hospital in Providence says it is the first in the country to use Google Glass in an emergency department setting.

In a six-month pilot program, the hospital's ED physicians will use Google Glass to conduct video consultations for patients who require a dermatological consult. The glasses will be used to stream video of a patient's skin to a consulting dermatologist as the ED physician examines the patient, allowing the dermatologist to provide real-time diagnoses or treatment options.

"While the initial study is limited to ED patients who require a dermatology consult, we recognize that the opportunities for Google Glass in a medical setting are very broad," said Paul Porter, MD, an ED physician at Rhode Island Hospital and one of the pilot's principal investigators, in a news release. "Ultimately, the use of this technology could result in better coordinated care, faster interventions, better outcomes, fewer follow-up office visits, fewer readmissions and lower costs for a wide range of disciplines, not just dermatology.

"We also envision this technology eventually being used by first responders and nursing homes as a tool to communicate with emergency medicine physicians," he said.

The Google Glass sets used in the pilot were made HIPAA-compliant by health IT company Pristine. Other trials using Google Glass have relied on obtaining explicit patient consent to meet privacy and security regulations.

More Articles on Google Glass:

Why Hospitals Are Hesitant to Use Google Glass
How Google Glass Can Make Wrong-Side Surgery a True "Never Event"
UCSF First to Receive IRB Approval to Use Google Glass During Surgery

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars