Face-to-Face Medical Care over the Internet?

A new unified communications solution from iVisit, iVisit Rx telemedicine platform, just won first place in the Fourth Annual CTIA Emerging Technologies Awards for Healthcare. The face-to-face communication platform brings medical professionals and their patients together for remote treatment and monitoring. It works on IP and 3G+ networks and allows connectivity between mobile phones, desktops, laptops and mobile diagnostic devices. The beta version now available runs on Windows Mobile with touch screens and PCs.

“iVisit’s video conferencing and data services running on Windows Mobile are a good example of high value 3G services that are now possible,” said Steve Hegenderfer, group product manager for Windows Mobile at Microsoft Corp. “The Windows Mobile platform makes it possible for developers, such as iVisit, to easily build compelling applications with a familiar programming language and top-level industry tools.”

According to iVisit:     iVisit and its partners are developing iVisit Rx as a telemedicine and assisted living platform that combats soaring healthcare costs. For example, CELLUCARE is helping patients manage their diabetes condition by providing coaching and intervention, which reduces the likelihood of medical events that incur higher costs and improves quality of the patients’ mobile lifestyle. Nurse Practitioners talk face-to-face with patients in their homes using 2-way video over mobile phones powered by iVisit Rx.

    A second iVisit Rx partner, Wound Technology Network (WTN), offers a distributed wound treatment program where two wound specialists (one on location, one connected remotely) simultaneously assess and treat patient wounds. Through its centralized specialist call center, care management software, and use of iVisit Rx, WTN offers patients a level of wound care expertise, standardized protocols, and quality of care that rivals the best specialty wound care clinics.

“iVisit is a great example of public and private investment in critical healthcare research and development,” said Rohit Shukla, CEO of the Larta Institute. “We are proud to be associated with such a stellar group of folks, as they define the future of mobile communications and bring its advantages and advances to underserved populations.” iVisit is a participant in the Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP) which Larta Institute manages for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).