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For Immediate Release
2/27/2006
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Jennifer Sizemore
410-601-5528
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Robot on Patient Rounds at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
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Sinai
Hospital of Baltimore welcomes its newest employee, Bari, a mobile
robot, which allows physicians to interact with patients on demand and from
remote locations. The RP-7 robot, developed by InTouch Health, a
California-based company, permits doctors to virtually consult with patients,
family members and hospital staff at a moment's notice.
"One of the crucial keys of delivering the high quality care patients have
come to expect at Sinai is communication,” said Neil M. Meltzer, president and
COO, Sinai Hospital. "The technology used in the robot offers both physicians
and patients increased access to each other beyond traditional in-room
visits.”
The 5-foot, 5-inch robot, looks similar to "Rosie the Robot from the
Jetsons,” with a flat-screen computer monitor face. To give the robot a more
personal look when makes rounds, the doctor's face is displayed live on the
screen. The physician guides the robot with a joystick from a computerized
ControlStation® from a designated remote location often located in a home
or office. With on-board two-way cameras, microphones and wireless
technology, the physician is also able to review charts, current lab work and
X-ray results without physically being in the hospital.
"New technology constantly allows us to increase the quality of care we
provide to our patients,” said Alex Gandsas, M.D., head of the Division of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery. "The
RP-7 gives us the opportunity to continue to communicate with patients during
off hours. At a certain point, patients sometimes can even forget there's a
machine in front of them, and they are able to interact with you on an
individual, intimate level.”
Sinai launched the mobile robot initiative with one robot in the Department
of Bariatric Surgery under the leadership of Gandsas, who presented the idea
after researching the technology as a safety measure and closer way to monitor
patients following weight-loss surgery. Additional robots maybe added in other
departments in the future.
Sinai Hospital of Baltimore is a member of LifeBridge Health, a
regional health organization, which includes Northwest Hospital Center, Levindale Hebrew
Geriatric Center and Hospital, Jewish
Convalescent & Nursing Home, and related subsidiaries and
affiliates.
InTouch Technologies, Inc. (d.b.a. InTouch Health®) is a privately held
company based in Santa Barbara, CA. The company is pioneering remote presence
technology for hospital providers. Through a proprietary communications and
mobile robotic platform, the RP-7 Remote Presence Robotic System, doctors are
able to consult with hospital-based patients and staff more easily and
frequently. The InTouch Health solution leverages the time and expertise of
healthcare professionals across multiple care facilities, improving the
efficiency and effectiveness of care delivery.
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