Health technology firm Royal Philips, along with Showa University, has launched first telemedicine intensive care (eICU) program in Japan.
Image: The Showa University in Japan. Photo: courtesy of Koninklijke Philips N.V.
The eICU program has been launched at Showa University Hospital and Showa Koto Toyosu Hospital to help improve results with high risk patients and advance critical care.
The telehealth critical care model allows clinicians to deliver improved critical care support to patients across multiple sites, and is based on the success of similar programs in the Americas, the UK, Australia, and the Middle East.
To support aging population and reduce healthcar costs, the eICU program has been designed to improve efficiency in medicine through a subsidy program for global innovation centers funded by the Japanese government to add technology advancements to healthcare.
Showa University Hospital professor Otake said: “This partnership enables a fundamental shift in the delivery of critical care, impacting outcomes and reducing costs, by leveraging technology to support access to highly experienced critical care physicians and nurses which is an ongoing challenge for hospitals internationally, especially in Japan.”
The eICU program enables near real-time remote patient monitoring and early intervention through advanced audio-visual technology.
Smart algorithms holds capacity to anticipate deteriorations in health, helping remote experts to communicate with bedside caregivers through live video link to continuously monitor patient status and advise on the better treatment.
Philips said its eICU program is part of a connected and patient-centered care and analytics suite, which supports advanced care delivery models, both in the hospital and home.
Philips Japan CEO Hiroyuki Tsutsumi said: “The eICU represents the future of globalized critical care, transforming the delivery of care from the bedside.
“Having a centralized remote patient support center provides the ability to consolidate and standardize care, reduce transfers while maximizing bed utilization, and reassure bedside staff.”
In March this year, Philips announced an industry-first integrated tele-ultrasound solution based on Philips’ Lumify portable ultrasound system and powered by Innovative Imaging Technologies’ (IIT) Reacts collaborative platform.
Philips Lumify with Reacts is an advanced tool designed for clinicians, teaching institutions, medical students and residents, emergency medical service providers, disaster relief providers and hospitals with satellite clinics.