Telemedicine robots to take over monitoring of patients

Claimed to be a first-of-its-kind initiative by Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre, the hospital has deployed 16 mobile Teladoc Health Robots. The robots will be used for clinical examinations, diagnosis, and monitoring of health parameters of both out-patients and in-patients. 

The Teladoc telemedicine robots have capabilities to carry out basic clinical examinations such as checking blood pressure and heart rate on their own, as instructed by the doctors. 

Dr S Gurushankar, Chairman, Meenakshi Mission Hospital, said these telemedicine robots from Teladoc are a substantial addition to the healthcare capabilities available in Tamil Nadu. “We can now get expert opinion from a specialist anywhere in the world. Doctors from different disciplines can come together to treat a patient. They can also monitor patients round the clock.” 

The robots can also be instructed to control advanced diagnostic equipment such as CT and MRI scan machines and further they can collect and process data from other diagnostic equipment for doctor’s consultation. 

Dr Gurushankar said the adoption of such telemedicine robots will augment the diagnostic abilities of doctors and improve access, quality, and efficiency of healthcare delivery for patients irrespective of their physical location.