Google Glass is currently tested at Rhode Island Hospital in a study involving dermatology.
Emergency room patients require a dermatology consult and consent in order to participate in the study for the next six months, according to Mobi Health News. The patients are examined by ER physicians wearing a stripped-down version of the device. The device will send images to a dermatologist off-site, who will access them through a tablet.
Dr. Paul Porter, the principal investigator on the study, talked about the benefits that the use of Google Glass has for telemedicine, Mobi Health News reported.
"This platform really democratizes telemedicine," Porter said. "If you want to start a telemedicine program you need to buy a GlobalMed cart, it would be about a $100,000 investment. [Google Glass] really puts it within the reach of rural and disadvantaged urban health centers that want to link up with a tertiary referral system or even specialists."
The hospital is working with Pristine, a Google Glass-focused startup, for the study, the Huffington Post reported. Pristine's version of the device does not connect to the internet or include any traditional features. Instead, the device streams live and sends encrypted audio and video information directly to the receiver. The Pristine version also does not store audio, photos or videos for the purpose of securing information.
"It's every CIO's worst nightmare to have a breach or have video uploaded on YouTube," Porter said. "We really put a lot of time in trying to get the best possible conditions for confidentiality, picking a specialty that we thought would be the safest for the patients. In our study, [the Google Glass consultation is] over and above the standard of care, which is a phone call plus or minus a snapshot."
Testing started on March 1, the Huffington Post reported. Porter said he and his team will start working on a paper once the study has 100 participants. The goal is for the study to be successful so that Google Glass can be used in other healthcare areas such as stroke care, pediatric consults and emergency response.
