Videoconferencing robots sent home with patients following surgery improve clinical efficiencies and reduce healthcare costs, say researchers at Children's Hospital Boston.
Pediatric patients who undergo surgery at the hospital leave with a 4-foot, lightweight robot. Physicians can access multiple robots from computers in their offices and call patients through the devices at pre-determined times. The physician's face appears on a small screen seen by patients and their families; a camera and microphone attached above the screen let the physician see what the robot "sees" and speak with the family.
Physicians control the robots using the arrow keys on a computer keyboard. "They can roll around the room, turn to see what's on television, talk with the kids, even play with them," says urologist Hiep T. Nguyen, MD, FAAP, associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and director of the robotic surgery research and training center at Children's Hospital.
Robot-assisted post-op assessments performed remotely help patients transition between the hospital and home care, says Dr. Nguyen. Orthopedic surgeons, for example, could watch recovering patients perform everyday tasks such as walking up and down stairs. That intensive level of at-home monitoring could help avoid post-op complications, limit patient phone calls to physicians and reduce unplanned trips to the emergency room.
Robot manufacturer Vgo Communications provided Children's Boston with 4 units. Dr. Nguyen personally bought one of the $5,000 devices, bringing the total to 5. The ultimate goal, he says, is to send every surgical patient home with a robot as the technology improves and more options enter the marketplace to drive down per-unit costs.
Ironically, it was the sense of connection that house-calling physicians of yesteryear had with their patients that inspired this futuristic improvement to post-op care. "That close interaction let physicians see how patients were living and pick up clues that would help direct the course of care," says Dr. Nguyen. "We're using technology to re-engage that relationship."
Daniel Cook
