MicrosoftAs a physician--who was on the front lines almost daily--I am always looking for tech innovations to streamline/create a more efficient process when it comes to physician-patient interactions. What has been needed, way before covid, is an efficient way to conduct inpatient rounds, and to rebalance the amount of time a physician spends with a patient vs. admin tasks.
This project hints at a way to conduct rounds--for an appropriate cohort of patients, this would be amazing. From my perspective, the conservation of PPE is not a legitimate reason to conduct virtual rounds--in fact, I'd wager that this would be a medicolegal risk. From my experience, this would hold true even during the PPE shortages. Plus, ac component of being a great physician is the patient interaction and the physical exam. This is a vital component. However, just as telehealth was utilized for the appropriate patients in outpatient settings, and with a physician who has an understanding of when a virtual visit isn't enough, this sort of project has massive potential, especially for inpatient rounds. As a surgeon, this would be ideal for the relatively healthy patient who is rehabbing from routine surgery.
I encourage these sorts of projects because they are needed--physicians need more time to devote to patients, vs the ever-increasing admin tasks or inefficient traditional ways of practicing medicine, which is conducted in an overall system that further exacerbates the inefficiency.
I'd love to discuss further, or any other similar projects.
