UPMC, $9 billion global health enterprise and Alcatel-Lucent have collaborated to develop a telemedicine platform and suite of applications.
The jointly developed solution will enable patients to receive care even when they are far from doctors and hospitals.
Expected to be ready for commercial launch in early 2013, the solution, will provide secure, real-time clinical encounters in a virtual "exam room" designed to fit the workflow of health care providers and the mobility of patients.
The platform is being developed along with Bell Labs, Alcatel-Lucent's research arm, making use of advanced technologies such as immersive and cloud-based communications.
Patients, by using a secure Web portal, will be able to have access to both scheduled and emergency care from any location at any time through a variety of mobile devices. This can be done using real-time video and audio communication among multiple participants in multiple locations.
In addition, the system will also securely generate, retrieve and store patient data in a clinically relevant way.
In a press release, Rebecca Kaul, president of UPMC's Technology Development Center, said: "Advances in telecommunications technology and the widespread adoption of mobile devices have paved the way for eliminating the restrictions that bricks and mortar have placed on health care."
"By combining our clinical and technological expertise, UPMC and Alcatel-Lucent are poised to deliver on the promise of providing seamless care to patients that is only a click away."
Designing a true multi-point communication platform that allows everyone involved in the medical case to securely view the same data and medical records at the same time regardless of the communication device used is the prime challenge involved in creating this next-generation telemedicine system.
Sid Ahuja, Vice President of Alcatel-Lucent Ventures, who will co-manage the initiative, said: "With cloud-based technologies, services and software applications are delivered from the Internet rather than a dedicated enterprise network in a single location, enabling a new level of medical collaboration and information sharing via secure real-time audio, video and data links."
In related news, Alcatel-Lucent has opened a world-class technology showcase center in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Deepika Mala is a contributing editor for HealthTechZone. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Chris DiMarco
