Videophones designed by UK visual technology specialists Motion Media Technology are to be used to deliver ‘telehealth’ services in Belgium under a new distribution and licensing agreement signed with Belgian telehealth specialists Proxihealth Technics.
Proxihealth Technics has selected Motion Media’s complete range of video communication products to complement its existing portfolio of telemedicine solutions and consulting services, which it currently provides to local health institutions in Belgium.
The Belgian government is committed to promoting the use of telemedicine and is currently developing a nationwide broadband infrastructure.
Used together with medical monitoring devices the videophones will allow doctors to remotely monitor patients’ heart rates and other vital signs, and also enable ‘face-to-face’ consultations between doctor and patient over the videophone.
“The remote diagnosis and measurement of health symptoms and vital signs enables healthcare providers to make operational efficiencies whilst offering patients a fast response ‘remote’ health service, without the need for travel by patient, doctor or carer,” commented Diederick Geerinckx, managing director of Proxihealth Technics, Belgium.
He added that telehealth technology also reduced the need for unnecessary hospitalisations, enhancing the quality of life for patients and freeing up valuable hospital beds for critically ill patients.
Motion Media videophone products enable medical and other monitoring devices to be connected and can be linked to a computer to allow information and documents to be shared in real time.
Paul Ryder, telehealth specialist at Motion Media Technology, UK, commented, “Face-to-face contact between patient and carer is the essence of everyday healthcare contact and an increasing percentage of such interactions are now undertaken effectively, yet remotely, via our video communication products.