If online consultations were a thing in the medical field during COVID-19, a Texas hospital decided to use state-of-the-art technology to ensure the smooth running of their doctor-patient visits.
It is apparently the first hospital in the U.S. to use holograms for doctor-patient interaction which could help doctors reduce their commute time, according to hospital officials.
Crescent Regional Hospital in Lancaster, about 13 miles south of Dallas, has installed "Holobox," a 3D technology that projects a life-sized hologram of a doctor, allowing them to conduct real-time consultations with patients at a 30-miles-away clinic.
A Dutch company designed the display, which stands 86 inches tall and requires only electricity and internet to connect.
Crescent Regional Hospital CEO Raji Kumar said: "There's so much artificial intelligence, robotic technology, so many things…So, I'm super excited of being able to bring some of this technology to North Texas.”
"Our doctors on the north side of town don't have to drive 30 miles to see one of their patients," Kumar told television station Working For All Alike (WFAA). "They can just hop into the studio have the consult."
She intends to add this asset to additional studios across the hospital and in doctor's offices so that more physicians can conduct holographic visits. Kumar told WFAA she also wants to extend the technology to rural hospitals.
Steve Stirling, managing director of the company that developed the technology, stated that the business created the "Doctor-Patient Hologram Engagement System" to allow medical facilities and health care practitioners to interact with patients remotely.
Doctors can now communicate with patients by hologram instead of driving between the hospital and clinic for pre-op, post-op, or follow-up appointments, according to WFAA.
Stirling said he hopes other hospitals will follow suit and implement similar hologram programs. Their company is trying to deploy the Holobox Mini, which includes a 22-inch interactive touch-screen display that is portable.
"Doctor shortage areas are everywhere, and health care facilities are closing so if we can do anything to help make access to care and engagement with healthcare professionals more productive and satisfying to both patients and doctors, this will be a very satisfying result for us," he said.
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U.S.: Texas hospital to use cutting-edge technology for doctor-patient visits
