HOUSTON A Los Angeles-based company hopes to take NASA tele-medicine technology and use it to reduce doctor visits and to help in remote areas with a shortage of medical personnel.
TIP or Telemedicine Instrumentation Pack is a computerized device operated by a nurse or trained person that sends patient data via the internet to a doctor in real time or via e-mail.
Stephen Wyle, president of CyberMDx Inc., said the system could eliminate some visits to the doctors office, thus saving time. The system could also be used aboard oil rigs and ships, as well as in remote areas.
The device was one the products rolled out during the three-day Inspection '99 at Johnson Space Center to extol the virtues of NASA technology and business applications for it.
"You can save money by keeping employees on the job," Wyle said of the device. "A nurse can operate the TIP."
TIP performs most of the functions of a physical exam, including monitoring blood pressure, pulse and examining the eyes and ears. Images from the examination can be sent via video images to a doctor.
"It can increase the efficiency in how many patients a doctor sees each day," he said. "It also allows the doctor to review the medical records and pass them on to a specialist."
Wyle said the company is adding more advanced features such as ultrasound and blood analysis to the system, which will eventually weigh 20 pounds.
The medical package was originally developed for use on the space shuttle and flew in a 1998 test.
"You dont usually have the luxury of a doctor to fly aboard the shuttle," said Scott Simmons of CyberMDx, "so with training, the commander or pilot acts as the medical officer."
With a minimal amount of training, a crew member can send exam results to a doctor on the ground, he said.
Simmons said a version is also being developed for use on the International Space Station.
Wyle said the TIP is currently being tested by a major health clinics staff and on a cruise ship.
He said he sees a tough road ahead for mainstream acceptance though.
"Everybody likes it once they get their hands on it," he said. "The problem is how to fit it into the existing infrastructure and make money from it."
Wyle described one of the problems created by the device -- doctors will have the ability to conduct examinations across state lines where they may not be licensed to practice at the patients location.
Health management organizations may embrace the idea though, Wyle said with the constant pressure to reduce costs and improve care.
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