Olympus has announced that MedPresence, its cloud-based telecollaboration platform, will allow front-line healthcare providers to access product expertise from manufacturer representatives virtually, which is in line with recent recommendations from leading medical societies and industry groups.
According to AdvaMed, 26 health care groups and counting have signed onto the “Return to Procedures” guidance presented by the AHA, AORN, and AdvaMed, which states, “Medical device representatives should work with facilities and providers to deliver services, information, and support remotely whenever possible.”
Randy Clark, president of Olympus Medical Surgical Group, notes that medical product representatives are often present in medical procedures to provide guidance to health care providers on the safe and effective use of their products. During pandemic conditions, it is imperative that the risk of exposure to infection for all involved — patients, providers, and vendors — is kept to a minimum. Remote collaboration will support patient and staff safety protocols in healthcare facilities by limiting the number of people who must be physically present and conserving personal protective equipment (PPE), he adds.
MedPresence connects those in procedure rooms with medical device representatives, from any hospital vendor, who are needed to support the set-up of medical devices, as well as the selection, use or troubleshooting of devices during the procedure. Clark says this can be especially important in complex cases such as those involving implants for orthopedics, cardiology, pulmonology, and interventional radiology. Using MedPresence, consultants, including specialists, senior clinicians, and technical experts, can provide accurate, well-coordinated input in support of positive patient outcomes, he adds.
