[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Glass-EE.jpg” thumb_width=”200″ /]”Glass is a hands-free device, for hands-on workers.” What a marketing position! Google Glass finally arrives at where it should have started–not a techie toy or a social snooper banned from bars, but a tool for specific work needs that solve specific but important problems. This is not only ‘on trend’, but also the ‘professional case’ is steak on the grill as a powerful way to lend legitimacy to a new product (the classic is Tang ‘orange drink’ going into space in the early ’60s). The recent announcement of Glass Enterprise Edition (EE) marking its emergence from stealth mode was a refreshingly low-key (for Google and parent Alphabet) surprise. Even the revamped look is sturdy and utilitarian in full glass mode (left) or in clip-on (and also serves as eye protection).
Their on-trend position for healthcare is to reduce the amount of time that doctors spend charting and documenting patients. Augmedix, a Glass partner, built the documentation automation platform for Sutter Health and for Dignity Health that captures the information from the interaction between patient and doctor via a ‘remote scribe’. Jay Kothari, the Glass project lead, quotes data from Dignity that it reduces clinician daily documentation time from 33 percent to less than 10 percent, The Sutter Health estimate is two hours per day. Out of the gate this is extremely valuable because it improves the clinician-patient face-to-face (and presumably virtual) visit in eye contact, reduces the break in taking notes, and reduces time pressure generated by post-visit review. Netherlands-based swyMed concentrates on facilitating virtual visits, and is testing a home visit pilot with Loyola University Health System practitioners in Maywood, Illinois. Others, like John Nosta, have been continuing to use Glass in business. Our Readers may want to check out these partners as that is how Google is making the Glass available, not directly. SF/Boston-based partner Brain Power wasn’t mentioned in Mr. Kothari’s blog, but their AI/VR applications for brain conditions such as autism and TBI, as well as other uses such as clinical trials and care for older adults. mHealthIntelligence interviewed Augmedix’s CEO Ian Shakil, who notes that Glass still needs improvements in battery life for the hard work of documenting patient visits.
Update: An interesting comment on this via Twitter. The paper is from 2015 but the regulatory and privacy questions around recording patients and information remain. Augmedix does state on its website that it is HIPAA compliant.
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