What You Should Know:
– OPTAC-X, a leader in telehealth solutions, and Mayo Clinic have achieved a milestone in emergency medicine by utilizing satellite-enabled telehealth to guide a successful cardiac arrest resuscitation outside of a hospital setting.
– This innovative approach, detailed in a recent publication in “Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Digital Health,” highlights the potential of remote patient monitoring to extend critical medical expertise to even the most remote locations.
Bridging the Gap in Emergency Care
In this case, a 65-year-old woman experienced an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest at her residence. While her family initiated CPR under the guidance of emergency dispatchers, the arriving EMS crew found the patient without a pulse and not breathing.
Satellite Technology Enables Real-Time Physician Guidance
Leveraging OPTAC-X’s hybrid LTE-global SATCOM telehealth technology, the EMS crew connected with an emergency medicine physician at Mayo Clinic. This technology, which operates on both cellular and satellite networks, provided a reliable connection regardless of location or Wi-Fi availability.
Using a head-mounted camera and satellite communications, the physician was able to see and hear what the EMS personnel were experiencing in real-time, including the patient’s vital signs. This enabled the physician to provide immediate guidance and support during the resuscitation efforts.
OPTAC-X Key Components
OPTAC-X’s technology incorporates several key components:
- Hybrid Connectivity: Combines LTE and satellite communication to ensure reliable connectivity in any location.
- Head-Mounted Camera: Provides the remote physician with a first-person view of the patient and the surrounding environment.
- Vantiq’s Intelligent Platform: Harnesses real-time data and AI to provide continuous updates and predictive insights on the patient’s condition.
- Kymeta’s Satellite Antennas: Enables mobile satellite communication with lightweight and high-throughput antenna technology.
Improving Emergency Response and Patient Outcomes
This innovative approach has the potential to significantly improve emergency medical response and patient outcomes by:
- Extending Expertise: Bringing specialized medical expertise to remote or underserved areas.
- Enhancing Decision-Making: Providing real-time data and physician guidance to support informed decisions in critical situations.
- Improving Efficiency: Optimizing resource allocation and preparedness for patient arrival at the hospital.
“Helping deliver emergency medical services to this patient in a pre-hospital setting that resuscitated her is the kind of impact we hoped for when we developed OPTAC-X’s telehealth technology,” said Dr. Patrick Fullerton, founder and CEO of OPTAC-X. “The goal is that our technology can become part of every state and federal emergency agency’s standard operating procedure, including the department of defense, and thus contribute to saving many lives on a national and global level.”