To cope with so-called “medical deserts”, the solution could then be in telemedicine. The development of this technology is also one of the priorities of the French Ministry of Health. H4D, a French company, designed Consult Station, a small medical booth capable of performing a variety of tests to establish a rapid diagnosis, without the physical intervention of a doctor.
A fully equipped medical cabin that allows for consultations with a doctor at the other end of the country. A solution to try to fight against medical deserts but also to optimize the organization of companies. These connected telemedicine booths are currently being tested in several French regions and in various establishments (student mutual, seniors’ residence, etc.). This white cabin, 2.30 meters high, 1.20 meters wide and 1.90 meters long accommodates the patient who will benefit from a teleconsultation with a doctor who can be several hundred kilometers away. He can interrogate the patient, he can also analyze the results of various analyzes and radios but also prescribe drugs by sending a remote prescription.
Consult Station : get a health check remotely
This new medical booth is equipped with several devices that will allow measurements to be made to assist the physician in making a diagnosis. No intervention by any medical staff is necessary, the patient will be assisted by the doctor with whom he communicates via a screen and explanatory videos are also disseminated to guide him.
The standard exam lasts only ten minutes. Thus, thanks to the equipment provided, the patient will be able to measure his blood pressure, his blood glucose level, the oxygen saturation rate of the blood, to measure himself, to weigh himself, to take his temperature or to carry out an electrocardiogram. Further examination is also possible, it includes in these cases tests of visual and auditory acuity. The most complete check-up lasts for a maximum of 30 minutes.
After closing the door of the Consult Station, a sort of large shower enclosure, the patient sits in an armchair, much like that of the dentist, where he faces a screen in which the doctor appears. They discuss the reasons for the consultation, before moving on to the monitoring phase. The cabin has instruments that the doctor has the patient handle. He can weigh it, measure it, take his tension, listen to his heart or look at the back of his throat. Once the exam is over, the doctor can even print a prescription. The fifty doctors who work for H4D have been trained in tele medicine. According to the creator of the Consult station, Franck Baudino, they can do 90% of what a doctor usually does in a cabin.
In test in several regions
And if you are worried about your data, know that the consultations are done anonymously, the results are directly delivered and are only available with a personal code and known only to the patient. “Our goal was to put in place a device that makes travel information between the patient and the doctor without having to travel, to meet, while respecting the rules of ethics such as confidentiality and medical secrecy.
