With the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic, the EU is grappling with the most effective ways to stem the spread. While in Italy a country-wide lockdown has been necessary to minimize the spread through physical contact, telehealth is emerging as an effective and sustainable solution for precaution, prevention and treatment around the world.
Tyto Care’s telehealth solution, TytoHome, is being used in hospitals in Israel to help stem the tide of the virus and is rapidly continuing deployment efforts with health systems and hospitals in the US and Europe. Footage of a doctor administering a remote exam to a quarantined patient using TytoHome is available here.
To learn about the approach, Digital Journal spoke with Dedi Gilad, CEO and co-founder, Tyto Care.
Digital Journal: How significant is COVD-19 on health services?
Dedi Gilad: In the wake of COVID-19, already overworked health systems are feeling immense pressure. Most hospitals operate at near to full capacity year-round so with the influx of COVID-19 patients, hospitals and other health organizations are overwhelmed. As a result, public health officials are urging patients to stay out of emergency rooms and clinics, and health providers are being encouraged to leverage telehealth to provide remote care for patients with non-urgent matters.
DJ: What are the advantages of telehealth?
Gilad: During this global pandemic, telehealth is emerging as an effective solution for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. Telehealth is bridging the gap between people, physicians and health systems, enabling everyone, including symptomatic patients, families and the general population to stay at home and communicate with physicians through virtual channels, helping to reduce the spread of the virus to the wider population and medical staff on the frontlines. Critically, hospitals are also quickly adopting telehealth to monitor and treat quarantined patients infected with COVID-19 from a safe distance.
DJ: How is the effectiveness of telehealth measured?
Gilad:The effectiveness of telehealth is measured by the large numbers of patients being diagnosed, monitored and treated through telehealth both in hospitals and from the comfort of home. As telehealth’s ability to help flatten the COVID-19 curve quickly became apparent, regulatory restrictions on telehealth services were swiftly lifted. Hospitals across the globe are now using various telehealth tools to monitor and treat quarantined patients, and health organizations are using telehealth to provide care for the “worried well” at home, enabling them to avoid the ER or clinic.
By deploying advanced telehealth solutions, physicians not only have the ability to remotely examine and diagnose patients but can serve more patients in less time.
Research shows that virtual care will likely top 1 billion visits by the end of the year, with telehealth visits surging 50% in March alone. Health systems in the US, Europe, Israel and Asia are rapidly integrating Tyto Care’s telehealth solution to help stem the spread of COVID-19.
DJ: What is the TytoHome solution?
Gilad:Tyto Care’s TytoHome is the healthcare industry’s first all-in-one modular device and telehealth platform for on-demand, remote medical exams. The handheld examination device enables users to perform comprehensive exams of the lungs, skin, ears, throat, abdomen, and measures body temperature to provide physicians clinical data for remote diagnosis of acute care scenarios, replicating an in-person doctor’s visit from the comfort of home.
DJ: How did you test out the technology?
Gilad:Tyto Care received FDA clearance in 2016, CE Mark and Health Canada approval in 2018 and is HIPAA Compliant. We have participated in numerous studies that have demonstrated the effectiveness of our solutions. Mostly recently, a UVA study found that the images and sounds acquired through the use of TytoHome were of higher quality, sufficient for diagnosis, and superior to those acquired through stand-alone standard-of-care devices.
DJ: How does TytoHome differ from your competitors?
Gilad:While there are other telehealth tools on the market, most lack diagnostic capabilities. TytoHome is the only all-in-one remote examination solution allowing physicians to remotely connect with quarantined patients in hospitals or symptomatic people at home to perform physical examinations, including lung, throat and body temperature exams, which are key for monitoring COVID-19. This allows doctors to gain the vital clinical data they require to monitor the situation from a safe distance, minimizing physical contact and reducing the heavy load on ERs and clinics.
Tyto Care had already gained significant traction prior to COVID-19, working with over 60 leading health systems in the US, Israel and Europe, as well as telehealth companies, large private practices, and employers. In the wake of COVID-19, we are significantly increasing production to keep up with the high demand.
