According to a news release on its website, the pediatric rehabilitation hospital Children’s Specialized Hospital has begun to use a robot engineered to allow healthcare providers to interact with patients at any hour of the day without physically being in the hospital. The release states that Children’s Specialized Hospital is pioneering the use of the VGo robot, a technology designated as a “telepresence” healthcare solution.
The release notes that at PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital, a 60-bed inpatient pediatric hospital in New Brunswick, NJ, the VGo is being used to extend doctors’ reach to monitor and consult with medically fragile patients and their families at any hour of the day in the hospital.
PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital helps medically fragile children rehabilitate following a brain injury, spinal cord injury, complications from prematurity, and other life-changing injuries or illness.
A secure wireless connected device enables a remote individual to be “present” through a two-way video, audio, and motor-driven action. The release states that VGo is completely controlled by a person using a PC, Mac, or iPad. The device also features an integrated camera, microphones, and video display, and can run for up to 12 hours between battery charges.
Christopher Haines, DO, MBA, FAAP, FACEP, chief medical officer, Children’s Specialized Hospital, emphasizes that, “Telemedicine is transforming the way we provide healthcare, and we are fortunate Children’s Hospital can offer this innovative tool to improve patient care and communication between healthcare providers and our patients and their family.”
In the release, the hospital states that it hopes to expand its reach and improve access to pediatric specialists to children living in medically underserved communities.
[Source: Children’s Specialized Hospital]
