Humanity faces a global crisis as we speak. Perhaps the greatest crisis of our generation. The decisions that people and governments will make in the coming weeks are likely to shape the world in the years to come.
The new virus, officially called Covid-19, is more dangerous than we think – so far, about 20% of confirmed cases have been classified as serious or critical. Between 15 and 20% of hospital cases were classified as “severe” and the current mortality rate varies between 0.7% and 3.4%, depending on the location and, crucially, on access to good hospital care. (source: Telegraph.co.uk)
As we speak, Covid-19 is a worldwide epidemic. There are more than 490 thousand confirmed cases and 22 thousand deaths. The world is undergoing a transformation never seen before and these numbers are constantly increasing on all continents.
To stop the epidemic, entire populations need to obey guidelines imposed by governments only seen in a fictional film: stay at home, close schools, stop production, mandatory social isolation. The virus does not choose nationality, age or gender. We are all at risk of contagion. The importance of staying at home and avoiding social contact at all costs can’t be stressed enough.
Source: worldometers
We live in a mandatory pause in our social and economic system, all over the world, which forces us to reinvent ourselves and live differently.
Everyone is wondering, astonished, how to stop this virus and how to overcome this threat. But another question arises… what kind of world will we inhabit after all this? Yes, the storm will pass, humanity will survive, most of us will still be alive – but the world will be a different place.
With these alarming numbers all around the world, concepts such as telework, teleschool and telemedicine are emerging as an absolute necessity, being more present than ever in our lives.
We recently read an article on Radiology Business where they strongly recommended the use of ultrasound as a way of screening Covid-19 and cases of pneumonia.
These references immediately make us wonder about the following situation: what if it was possible to make this ultrasound diagnosis at a distance, protecting patients and health professionals?
One of the key areas of activity at Sensing Future is precisely telemedicine. In this sense, Sensing Future Technologies, in conjunction with the University of Coimbra, the Pedro Nunes Institute and Hospital da Luz developed the ROSE system, a system that allows remote ultrasound scans to be made anywhere in the world.
A new paradigm of diagnosis by tele-ultrasound will be established with ROSE, through which doctors and patients can interact without the need for physical proximity. Each ROSE system includes two robotic ergonomic stations (one on the medical side and one on the patient side).
Combining these elements, ROSE will allow the interaction between multiple doctors and patients, mitigating travel inconveniences on both patient and medical sides, while creating new services such as remote technical supervision and international collaboration.
This totally remote system uses the latest innovations in telemedicine and medical robotics. Its haptic devices allow the doctor to feel when and how he touches the patient, practically as if he were on the spot.
I am sure that the world of tomorrow will be different and the advantages of using telemedicine will be seen with different eyes. Note that telemedicine solves great challenges:
1️⃣ Telemedicine optimizes resources in hospital networks by avoiding unnecessary travel by patients and healthcare professionals (image a small clinic in a remote village)
2️⃣ Telemedicine breaks down geographical barriers, extending healthcare to any part of the world
3️⃣ In cases of a global epidemic like the one we live in, it can be a tool to protect health professionals and patients even further
How do you think the future of medicine will be after this epidemic?
Share and leave your opinion! 🙂
Follow the World Health Organization updates on Covid-19.
Rui Pinho
Sensing Future Technologies