The positive impact technology has on our social and professional lives on a daily basis is clear; we are better connected, we can work from almost anywhere, and we can access information on the go.
At Intercity Technology, we focus on enabling everyone to work faster and smarter. I am a true advocate of people-first technology. But have you ever considered that the device you carry with you could literally save your life?
FaceTime diagnosis
FaceTime can save lives. There’s been a very real and recent example of the power of mobile technology Adumea Sapong noticed her sister’s slurred speech as life-critical whilst on a FaceTime video call. Adumea is based in Manchester and her sister, Opokua lives alone in New York.
Adumea noticed Opokua, was struggling to pick up a glass of water, and her face was drooping as she spoke. She advised her sister to call the emergency services immediately, who later diagnosed the condition as a stroke from a clot on the brain.
There’s no question that video calling technology saved Opokua’s life.
"You hear a lot of negative stories about the internet and technology, but I think this is an example of how technology can be a force for good. If it had not been for FaceTime, then we would be having a very different conversation right now." - Adumea Sapong
Lifesaving wearables
Wearable technologies, like Fitbits and Apple Watches, also provide life-saving capabilities. James Green, a 28 year old from New York reports owing his life to a mobile app on his Apple Watch. While monitoring his heart rate constantly throughout the day, the app subsequently notified him when it went outside a certain threshold.
On one occasion, alerts advised Green that his heart rate was continually above his resting rate, even when sitting still. After this gave him impetus to seek medical attention, a CT scan revealed a life-critical blood clot on his lungs, and he was admitted to hospital immediately.
The Telestroke Network
While cases such as these are relatively rare, the power of connected technology cannot be ignored. At Intercity, we were eager to harness the power of unified communications and advanced technologies to streamline collaboration between patients and physicians across the country. It’s the reason we chose to dedicate a whole communication service to healthcare — Telemedicine.
Our Telestroke Network uses diagnostic-quality HD video conferencing and high-quality audio technology, allowing practitioners across the UK to carry out initial remote assessments. And in a healthcare landscape of reduced budgets and stretched resources, this technology could mean the difference between a patient’s life or death.
[subscribe-form]
In the case of a stroke, only specialist clinicians are qualified to make the correct prognosis and prescribe treatment. What’s more, there’s a very critical four hour window between the moment a stroke occurs and administering treatment, in order to save the patient. Often an hour of this life-saving window is lost to identifying the condition, travel and transfers, and admitting the victim to A&E.
Our Telestroke Network, meanwhile gives the clinician high definition video conferencing tools to conduct a full consultation and diagnosis with suspected stroke patients directly from their homes, adding crucial time to deliver treatment.
"The core network underpinning the Telestroke project is quite complex, with clinicians being linked up directly from their own homes into trusts across the region to treat stroke patients, but Intercity has met every challenge it has been set.” - Gus Hartley, programme lead for NHS North of England
HSJ Healthcare Partnerships Awards
Each year, the Health Service Journal (HSJ) presents a series of awards to recognise and celebrate the products and services being used by the NHS. This year, our Telestroke Network has been shortlisted for the Best Innovation in Medical Technology award, alongside other players like Philips UKI and Bruin Biometrics.
In such a demanding, high-pressure industry like healthcare, frontline physicians are facing escalating challenges to meet the needs of our aging population. There’s a need to share information across more locations, ensure provision of care is seamless, and to provide appropriate access to information.
And, as Adumea Sapong recognised when talking to her sister on FaceTime, any form of telemedicine helps increase the speed at which patients are diagnosed. This window is absolutely crucial for patients suffering from critical conditions like a stroke.
Technology might help to streamline our professional lives and simplify our social communication, but I believe it can also do much more. By connecting patients with healthcare professionals, unified communications and HD conferencing solutions like our Telemedicine services can help save more lives, too.
