Recent government activity has eased restrictions when it comes to what practices are authorized to deliver virtual care due to COVID-19. This new authorization coupled with a heavy mandate for people to simply #StayatHome has created a wave of increased demand for telemedicine- and in a hurry! As providers race to establish the technology to support their patients, it’s left to us in the AV community to help identify what’s needed to replicate the quality care they’re used to delivering in person.

The visuals on both ends of this human to human connection via technology are critical. After all, if seeing a patient wasn’t critical why would we have the common practice of going into an office at all?

A full needs analysis can be found here. But let’s explore the top 3 critical considerations of camera selection for telemedicine applications:

Zoom 

Sure, a laptop camera will provide a fine viewing perspective of the overall human body for applications such as therapy sessions, allowing doctors and patients to simply see one another. For almost all other practices, proper zoom will be a requirement for healthcare professionals to get the control they need to diagnose and treat appropriately. While common cameras may be limited in their zooming options, professional PTZ cameras can provide a variety of zoom options up to 40X for healthcare professionals depending on their needs. Be sure to consider how important zoom will be for your customers when integrating this equipment.

Contrast

For remote examinations, contrast and clarity of image is vital to replicating in-person appointments, allowing the healthcare professional to get the best view of the patient they can- after all, what good is zoom if you lose focus or true color? While basic technology may struggle to provide this necessary clarity, some PTZ cameras feature advanced ISP technology that enables superior light-gathering capabilities,

better contrast and sharp 4K video, even when lighting conditions are not ideal. For more technical uses, a high-contrast camera is essential to ensure healthcare professionals treatment is not hindered by technical limitations, and patients have a clear view of their doctor. 

Remote Management

Healthcare professionals and patients will of course need to be able to control zoom and contrast from a remote location on a moment-to-moment basis. PTZ cameras can be controlled remotely over long-distances, manipulating angle and focal length on a patient-by-patient basis without physically interacting with the equipment.

For all three of these considerations, Vaddio’s ConferenceSHOT AV Camera can deliver. With 10X zoom, 74° horizontal field of view, supporting up to 1080p/60 resolution, and integrating the Vaddio Remote Management system, it gives healthcare professionals everything they need to get their telemedicine setup off the ground. There are of course other options, and recent temporarily relaxations allow for basic technology like cellphones to be used for telehealth purposes. However, there is no replacement for the high-quality resolution and control that comes with a professional camera like the ConferenceSHOT AV.

See How the Whole System Comes Together

But remember, every telehealth setup depends on your client’s unique needs, so remember to consider zoom, contrast, and remote control when integrating equipment. See a full list of Vaddio PTZ camera to choose the right product for your application.

At Legrand | AV, we are dedicated to keeping people connected no matter where they are. If you have any video conferencing, live streaming or connectivity questions, our solutions engineers are ready to help. Email us at av.solutions@legrand.com with the details of your project. For more of the latest COVID-19 information, please access the FAQs at www.legrandav.com/COVID.