Panasonic Unveils Tele-Health System
Staff -- TWICE, 6/11/2001
NEW YORK — Panasonic introduced a web-based tele-homecare system that will allow remotely located patients to measure their vital signs and give doctors and other healthcare professionals the ability to quickly and easily access these and other physiological information.
The system, which has been tested with Focused Health Solutions and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, is comprised of three components: Patient Terminal, Network Server and Doctor Terminal Software.
The patient's vital signs are measured by thermometer, blood pressure/pulse, blood sugar and oxygen saturation sensors, among others, and features a large, interactive touch-screen, a video camera, voice and picture guidance. Panasonic added that while the system reminds patients of their schedule to measure vital signs and other activities, healthcare professionals can browse and observe patient data with the system, as well as communicate with the patient.
The system may be familiar to those who have seen or heard of Matsushita Electric Industrial's HII House in Tokyo. Panasonic's parent company built the house to highlight home networking, which included a medical homecare system like this one. (See the TWICE special report on Home Networking starting on p. 1.)
