IoT News, Publications, Magazine & Newsletter | IoT Now

Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), global participant in open standards-based unified communications, announced that Orlando Health is responding much more quickly to stroke alerts by using Polycom® RealPresence® Mobile and other Polycom video collaboration solutions. Time is of the essence when a patient has suffered a stroke, and treatment must be administered within a narrow window of time to minimize the likelihood of brain damage.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States. Someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds. Many stroke victims suffer permanent disabilities and are unable to resume their former lifestyles or employment. Orlando Health, which is comprised of nine hospitals, is a provider of innovative stroke treatments such as the Genentech Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA) protocol. This treatment is most effective when delivered immediately after the onset of a stroke. It is typically not administered more than 3-4 hours after a stroke, and is given only to patients who suffer certain types of strokes. Polycom RealPresence Mobile enables neurologists to use tablets to connect instantly with patients face to face – securely and in high definition – regardless of doctor or patient location.

Polycom video collaboration allows neurologists working offsite, whether in another hospital or at home, to conduct thorough assessments of stroke victims and initiate treatment faster. Polycom RealPresence Mobile made it easier with its new remote, far-end camera control feature that equips neurologists with a way to examine patients in closer detail by controlling what they can see on the patient directly from their tablet or device, such as the pupils of the patient’s eyes.

“Stroke treatment is intense and complicated,” said Carlos Carrasco, corporate director of business development and innovation at Orlando Health. “Timeliness is critical, and many factors must be taken into consideration before a treatment such as the tPA protocol can be administered. Treatment decisions must be made fast and those decisions can have enormous implications for patient outcomes. Use of Polycom video collaboration has helped physicians access video conferencing to make clinical assessments more rapidly, in turn helping to accelerate ‘door to needle’ treatment timelines. That precious time can change a person’s life forever.”

Participating hospitals use patient-side carts equipped with Polycom® HDX® 8000 systems. These wireless systems include high-definition cameras that act as the remote doctor’s eyes and ears. Polycom’s RealPresence Mobile software for tablets allows the neurologist to control the camera, zooming and panning to quickly assess a patient’s condition and symptoms, and determine the best course of treatment. Many stroke specialists prefer tablet-based software because mobile devices start nearly instantly, saving precious minutes that can tick away while waiting for a PC or laptop to boot up

Following the success of its tele-stroke program, Orlando Health broadened its telemedicine initiative to its trauma services. Polycom’ RealPresence Mobile app, powered by the Polycom® RealPresence® Platform –comprehensive software infrastructure for universal video collaboration – will enable healthcare professionals at Orlando Health’s Level One Trauma centre to collaborate with health care providers at other non-trauma centre emergency departments to assist patients as quickly as possible.

Healthcare organizations the world over are turning to Polycom video collaboration solutions to transform how they learn, teach, and deliver care. Polycom solutions eliminate the distances between patients and caregivers, between physicians and educators, and between medical facilities.