Practitioner Cart Brings Versatility and FDA Class I MDDS Clearance to ERs, Physicians' Offices, Remote Clinics – Wherever Patients Need Care
AMERICAN TELEMEDICINE ASSOCIATION (ATA) FALL FORUM 2012, New Orleans, La. - Sep 10, 2012 : Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), the global leader in open standards-based unified communications, today announced the Polycom® RealPresence® Practitioner Cart® 8000, a new ergonomic telemedicine cart.
The Polycom RealPresence Practitioner Cart helps address the need for healthcare providers to bring expert care to patients quickly and cost-effectively, even if those patients are located far away from a major medical center. By engaging live with patients and on-site caregivers via secure high-definition (HD) video and audio, including viewing content via a PC connection, medical professionals can improve remote consultations with patients to help save lives, time, and money. The new cart also satisfies the latest FDA Class I Medical Device Data Systems (MDDS) requirements.
“Healthcare reform and cost-cutting initiatives are accelerating the adoption of telemedicine as providers seek to deliver quality care to underserved populations but without the expense of transporting patients to large medical centers or sending specialists into the field,” said Ron Emerson, global director of healthcare, Polycom. “With the flexible, ergonomic design and open standards-based telepresence capabilities from Polycom, the Polycom RealPresence Practitioner Cart brings together the best that two industry leaders have to offer with a telemedicine cart that works seamlessly across today’s patient care environments.”
The new Polycom RealPresence Practitioner Cart 8000 is built upon Rubbermaid Healthcare’s small and lightweight mobile cart platform. The durable frame protects internal electronics from spills, is easy to clean, and provides a superior level of maneuverability and flexibility.
“When developing this cart with Polycom, we saw an opportunity to create a highly ergonomic, mobile and versatile platform that uniquely meets the needs of today’s very demanding telehealth environment,” said Kevin Boyle, business leader for Rubbermaid Healthcare. “The Polycom RealPresence Practitioner Cart is a world-class solution that gives providers and patients access to the highest quality medical care no matter where they are. Rubbermaid is thrilled to have played a role in developing it.”
Equipped with a simple-to-use, Polycom® HDX® 8000 telepresence unit and Polycom® EagleEyeTM camera, the Polycom RealPresence Practitioner Cart enables greater productivity with HD video technology for sharp, clear images, and Polycom StereoSurround™ technology for natural and crisp conversations.
Additional leading-edge features include:
- Mobility and Ergonomics. With a small, sturdy base, users can easily maneuver the cart in tight spaces and take full-stride steps when transporting the cart. To ensure video participants maintain eye-level contact, a powered electronic lift enables fast and easy height adjustments. A battery power system allows users to operate the cart anywhere a network connection is available.
- Medical Device Integration and Connection. Clinicians have a host of input options for connecting laptops and medical peripheral devices, such as digital in-band stethoscopes and video scopes through an integrated, extensive plug-and-play side connection panel.
- Security. The new cart protects patient data with AES encryption to assist in the compliance of HIPAA requirements, and secures contents with a keyless entry drawer and lockable storage bin.
Because the Polycom RealPresence Practitioner Cart can be implemented in a variety of environments, budget-strapped organizations around the world use collaborative video solutions to derive the maximum value from their investment, from supporting prevention and wellness programs, to stroke and neurology consultations, to psychiatry and mental health sessions.
The South Carolina Department of Mental Health is one organization that has implemented a tele-psychiatry program that has saved South Carolina taxpayers $21.7 million since 2009. “The clarity of the HD video environments that Polycom provides are a key factor in our program’s success,” said Ed Spencer, director of the tele-psychiatry consultation program at the South Carolina Department of Mental Health. “While the verbal interaction between doctor and patient is very important during a psych consult, the non-verbal cues can be even more important. Psychiatrists can learn a tremendous amount by looking for subtle indicators, like perspiration, pupil dilation and nervous twitches. Ultimately, we want to provide the best possible treatment for more patients and Polycom’s Video collaboration technology makes that possible.”
Demonstrations
Polycom is showcasing several video solutions - including the new Polycom RealPresence Practitioner Cart 8000, Polycom® RealPresence® Mobile, and Polycom® RealPresence® Media Manager – at the ATA Fall Forum 2012 in Polycom booth #904.
Pricing and Availability
The Polycom RealPresence Practitioner Cart 8000 is available in October for US $26,999.
